


A Measure of Salvation

by kkenobi



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Avenger Loki, Awesome Frigga, BAMF Phil Coulson, Cultural Differences, F/M, Flashbacks, Gen, Heat Stroke, Hurt Loki, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Odin's Good Parenting, Protective Thor, Sibling Bonding, Slow Build, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-01-19 01:07:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1449658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkenobi/pseuds/kkenobi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Thor is a bit more observant, Odin loves both of his sons, Loki is a bit more broken, Thanos is a bit more evil, and the Avengers are still caught in the middle.  </p><p>AU, Canon Divergence</p><p>Or, Thor notices that some unknown entity is controlling his brother before Barton attacks and releases the Hulk.  Something worse then Loki and the Chitauri is brewing, and it is up to The Avenger's to stop the Earth from being destroyed by Thanos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

He was falling.

Falling through time and space, through the very fabric of the universe. He could feel cruel hands pull at him, ripping his clothing into shreds, and when there was no clothing left to cover him, ripping at his skin and tearing flesh from bone.

No – that wasn’t right.

There was no one else here in this abyss. It was just him, had been just him since he let go of Gungnir and let himself fall. He wanted to die. Had wanted to die. Did he still want to die?

No matter.

At this point he couldn’t tell where he was, or who he was. Despite knowing that there was no one (could be no one) with him he felt as though he was being clawed at by hundreds of hands. His skin was bruised and beaten, chunks of flesh missing, trailing behind him and mingling with his blood. After letting go he had let himself fall freely for a time, before fear took over and he tried to grab at something, at anything, with his magic. It hadn’t worked, and now his magical reserves were practically empty. He supposed that there was a trail of his magic somewhere in the dead of space now, unless it had already dissipated in the nothingness.

He risked opening his eyes, and quickly shut them tightly, though the image remained seared into his brain. It was amazing, a small part of his mind mused, that the sight of emptiness could be so horrifying. The rest of his mind was too busy being terrified by the sight. He was so far down that even the starlight barely reached him; all he could see was darkness. There was nothing to hear but the blood rushing in his ears and his own panicked heartbeat.

It was too much. He drew in a deep breath and gathered his magic about himself. It was a pitiful amount, but still better then nothing. Carefully he began to release it in small spurts in every direction, desperate to find something to latch onto. Even Midgard would be acceptable at this point.

There! Somewhere to his left (at least he thought his left – his sense of direction was useless here) there was a whisper of… something… a barren rock or the trail left by a comet. He latched onto it greedily, and pulled with the rest of his magic. This was to be his last chance at escaping this nightmare. He could feel his magic leaving him, his body failing.

He was dying.

He dared to open his eyes again, green orbs widening as he realised he could see shapes in the distance. Far away shapes yes, but shapes nonetheless. He cautiously lessened the amount of magic he was using, wanting to see if gravity would take over and pull him the rest of the way. Even though he only had a laughable amount of magic left at his disposal he’d like to preserve it if at all possible.

He was in luck. There was just enough gravity to pull him the rest of the way. He gave up on keeping his eyes open. Actually being able to see things after the nothingness he’d been seeing was too overwhelming. He let himself drift aimlessly; not caring if he collided with whatever he was going towards. At least that would kill him.

Gravity’s grip tightened painfully, squeezing the air from his lungs. Gratefully, he allowed himself to lapse into unconsciousness.

When he woke he was lying on rough, cold stone. He scratched with one of his remaining fingernails at the surface, eyes still closed. It felt strange to be touching something after so long of touching nothing. He wondered vaguely if he was hallucinating. He dared to lift his chin from the ground, regretting the movement immediately when he collapsed back into the dirt, his teeth clanking at the abrupt motion. He shuddered minutely and allowed his beaten and broken body to relax completely against the stone, feeling more blood seep from his many wounds and pool beneath him.

Suddenly the atmosphere seemed to change. The very ground shuddered, as though a giant was walking towards him. He risked opening his left eye a crack, gazing blearily in front of him. He could see something walking towards him. He closed his eye with a sigh. Hopefully this being, whatever it was, would allow him a swift death.

It was beside him now; he could hear it taking deep, slow, breaths.

“Well,” the being spoke. It had a voice dripping with malice, deep and cruel. “What do we have here?”

Loki opened his eyes again, and looked upon Thanos the Destroyer in horror.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Thor crossed his arms over his chest stiffly, staring blankly on his brothers still form on the small screen. The mortals were surprisingly effective at keeping Loki contained, and had a rather ingenious way of watching him without the need to risk guards by putting them in the cell with the other God. Thor closed his eyes, unable to look at his brother’s back any longer.

When Heimdall had informed the royal family that Loki had been found in Midgard, Thor and his parents had been overjoyed. To lose a son in such a way had thrown them all into despair. Frigga and Odin had been filled with guilt, wondering every day if they could have done something, anything, differently to stop Loki from falling. To stop Loki from letting himself fall.

He opened his eyes, letting the voices of the humans wash over him. They were still arguing over what to do with Loki. Thor ignored them all, knowing that they would not be able to stand against him when it was time to take Loki back to Asgard where he belonged.

On the screen Loki finally moved, turning slightly so that Thor could see the side of his emaciated face. Thor winced, not bothering to mask his expression. Loki looked so broken, as though a light breeze would be able to knock him over. The last time Thor had seen him look this despondent, this broken, was when he had discovered his lover Angrboda was dead, nearly 600 years previously.

This was not his brother.

His younger brother was always moving, no matter what he was doing. It had driven their father to distraction, as Loki would tap his fingers or bounce a leg even when they were in formal court listening to the councillors. Frigga had attempted to explain that it was the magic coursing through Loki’s body that caused him to never be still, but that did not stop Odin from getting irritated at his son.

The Loki on the screen was still, save for the light rise and fall of his chest. The Loki Thor remembered would have been yelling, pacing the call, and insulting the humans loudly. He would not be this still shell of himself.

“…Thor!”

Thor glanced up from the screen to the small man yelling his name, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“We’ve been trying to get your attention for awhile,” another man answered. It was the one who had stopped him and the metal man from fighting. Steve Rogers’ son, he thought.

“I apologise,” Thor grunted. “I’ve been distracted.”

Rogerson smiled at him. “I’ll bet,” he admitted. “He’s your brother, right?”

“Yes, he is,” Thor answered. “He is Prince Loki of Asgard, the second son of Odin Allfather.”

“That’s a mouthful,” the smaller man who’d first tried to get his attention mumbled. Thor turned to glare at him.

The other man held up his hands in surrender. “Just saying!”

“Thor,” Agent Coulson started from his place standing beside the table. “I was under the impression that Loki had tried to kill you.”

Thor shrugged one large shoulder. “I don’t think so,” he answered truthfully.

The harsh man in the eye patch frowned. “He sent a giant destroyer after you,” he snapped.

“That normally would not have harmed me,” Thor explained.

“I’ve seen a picture of that thing,” the metal man enthused. “How the hell would that not harm you?”

“I am not human,” Thor said, as though it explained everything. At a look around the table he realised that the humans were still confused. “My father took my powers for a time, so I was much weaker. Normally a hit from the destroyer would not harm me. Loki knows that.”

“So Loki was trying to what, distract you?”

“I know not,” Thor grudgingly admitted. “But having discussed the matter with my father and his councillors, none of us believe that Loki was truly aiming to kill me, but rather keep me from returning to Asgard.”

“That doesn’t change anything,” Director Fury barked. “Loki has caused the death of 80 people, destroyed property, and made my agents into zombies! He needs to be stopped.”

“I agree with Director Fury,” the red-haired woman added. “Loki is a danger to the Earth.”

Thor moved closer to the table, uncrossing his arms as he flexed his right hand, resisting the urge to swing Mjölnir. “Loki is not himself,” Thor said, his instinct to protect his brother flaring.

Another man, who had not yet spoke looked over at Thor with a frown. “What do you mean, not himself?”

Thor studied the man intently for a moment before responding. “Loki has been missing for over a year.”

“Missing?”

“Presumed dead,” Thor said, finally sitting in a chair. It creaked ominously under his weight.

“What happened Thor?” Coulson asked quietly. “The last we heard Loki was acting King of Asgard while you were banished to Earth.”

The rest of the humans were quiet, even Fury, waiting for Thor to answer.

“He fell,” Thor finally answered, unwilling to go into the events before Loki fell off the Bifrost unless he had to. “He fell off of the edge of the Bifrost into the dead of space. He should not be alive.”

Both the metal man (Tony Stark, he thought) and the man who had asked after Loki sat up in confusion. “What do you mean he fell into space?!” The metal man asked loudly, voice high pitched.

The other man frowned. “Calm down Mr. Stark,” he ordered, then turned to Thor. “What do you mean?”

“He fell into the dead of space, into sheer nothingness. The Allfather himself would not service.”

“I’m confused,” Steve said. “I thought there was no air in space.”

Tony Stark flailed his arms around, one of his legs bouncing in agitation. “There’s nothing in space! A human would be dead after seconds!” He was nearly yelling now, his voice slightly hysterical.

“Aye,” Thor agreed. “An Aesir would be able to survive a bit longer, but not for over a year.” He closed his eyes, remembering the feeling of horror he’d felt when Loki had let himself fall, remembering his father hulling him up and restraining him from jumping to follow his brother into the void.

Fury slammed a hand on the table. “That does not change the fact that Loki is a danger!” He yelled.

Thor readied himself to stand. “I will stand by Loki’s side, mortal,” he snapped back, baring his teeth. “Just as I have for over a millennia.”

Tony coughed. “I’m sorry, did you just say millennia?”

“Tony,” Bruce answered. “Norse Mythology has stories about Thor and Loki dating back over a thousand years. What did you expect?”

Tony let out a breath, rubbing his eyes as he did so. “I so did not sign up for this.”

Natasha snorted. “No one did.”

Coulson cleared his throat, glancing over at Fury’s frustrated form with a hint of worry. “Thor,” he said gently. “Loki has shown himself to be a threat to the Earth,” he explained. “We can’t just ignore that.”

Thor closed his eyes. “I know that, Son of Coul,” he admitted. “But let me take Loki back to Asgard, where he will not be able to harm your planet any longer.”

Natasha turned to look directly at Thor. “And what about the people he’s enslaved?” She demanded glaring harshly at Thor.

Thor turned to look directly at her, feeling his power crackle under his skin at the threat to his brother. “Asgard shall not leave them under control, Lady,” he answered.

“But Loki needs to be punished,” Natasha said, voice still calm collected.

Bruce backed his chair out and walked over to the monitors showing the Trickster God, not willing to put himself (and therefore the Other Guy) in the middle of the ensuing argument. Tony followed him, glancing back at the table with a shake of his head.

“This is crazy,” Tony hissed at him. Bruce nodded.

“I know, when Natasha got me from India this was the last thing I expected.”

Tony nodded empathetically. “I prefer normal villains,” he said bluntly. “I don’t think any of us are qualified to deal with ancient Norse Gods. Or Norse aliens,” he let out a laugh. “Aliens, Jesus fuck.”

Bruce ignored him, knowing that he other man needed a moment to adjust. He studied the form on the monitor. Loki was still standing in the centre of the cell (the cell meant for him, a voice at the back of his mind whispered), and Bruce noticed that the God look like shit. His face was a shade or ten paler then what was healthy, his cheeks sunken, and he had dark stains under his eyes. Bruce wished he could see the man’s eyes but from this angle it was impossible.

“He really looks terrible,” Bruce observed, stopping Tony mid rant.

Tony came over to look, and snorted. “Well according to our resident Alien Price, the guy fell into the dead of space and was missing for over a year. He’s looking pretty good, all things considered.”

On the screen Loki finally moved, turning so that he was facing the camera directly. Tony wolf whistled half-heartedly. “Dude’s looking like death warmed over, but he does have some amazing blue eyes.”

Bruce nodded, before starting when he heard a chair being pushed out from the table, and felt a warm form at his back. He squawked in alarm, moving out of the way as Thor came over to the monitor.

“What did you say, Starkson?” Thor demanded, his eyes hard and strangely desperate as he looked between Tony and his brother’s form on the monitor.

“I wasn’t hitting on him, I swear!” Tony yelped in alarm. “Well, maybe a little but, he’s really hot, if you like the vampire look and….”

“What did you say about his eyes?!”

“That, that they’re amazing!” Tony answered, looking over to Bruce in a slightly panic.

The others had come over to gather behind Thor. Steve looked concerned, while the agents were expressionless, seemingly not caring that Thor looked like he was about to kill Tony. Natasha even looked a bit hopeful.

“He said that Loki had amazing blue eyes,” Steve answered hopefully, pushing through the crowd to stand between Tony and Thor. Tony let out a sigh of relief. He may not like the super solider (how could he, with how his father had obsessed over the man to the point of neglecting his own son?) but he knew when to be grateful.

Bruce frowned. “Blue eyes…”

“Something on your mind Banner?” Fury asked mildly, his one eye still trained on Thor.

Bruce swallowed nervously, really not liking the tension in the room. It made the Other Guy antsy. “It’s just….” He took a breath and adjusted his glanced. “I took a Norse Mythology class in university,” he explained, blushing when all eyes turned to him. “The myths were all over the place when it came to describing Loki,” he was gesturing with his hands now, enjoying teaching, even if it was to a group of crazy agents, a Norse God, and a eccentric billionaire. “From saying he had dark hair, red hair, that he was tall and short, to even saying he’s a women.”

“My brother is skilled in shifting his shape,” Thor said, sounding a bit confused.

Bruce heard Tony swear. “A shape shifter. Of course he is.”

Natasha wordlessly reached over and smacked Tony on the back of the head, not bothering to look at him when he swore at her.

“But there was always one element that stayed the same, no matter they myth,” Bruce continued. “No matter the source, no matter the time period, Loki is always described as having green eyes.”

The group turned to the monitors and looked at Loki critically. “Hill,” Fury said, “Zoom in on his face.”

“On it Sir.”

“It is true,” Thor said, leaning over as the cameras zoomed in on Loki’s too skinny face. “Loki has green eyes, and he is not able to change them with his magic.” His frown deepened as Loki’s face came into focus.

“Motherfucker!”

Fury stalked from the room in a swirl of leather trench coat, snapping orders at Hill as he went. The rest of the group stared at the form on the screen, looking at the electric blue eyes.

“Do we have any video from when Loki arrived?” Natasha demanded, eyes narrowed.

Tony shrugged. “Jarvis?”

“Sir?”

Natasha turned to look at Tony. “You hacked SHIELD?” she demanded dryly.

“Well, yeah,” Tony said. “You expected me not to?”

Natasha shook her head. “I really should have guessed,” she moaned.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony said, in his element now. “Jarvis, does SHIELD have any footage of when Loki arrived?”

“Try and get footage of the agents he has under his control as well, particularly their eyes.”

“Guys,” Steve piped up quietly. “What do we do if Loki’s under some sort of control as well?”

No one answered him, to intent on staring at the screen. Loki’s image stared back at them, eyes almost glowing in the too bright cell.

“Do these images work, Sir?”

Beside the video of Loki three pictures came up. One of Loki, and two of people he apparently had under his control.

Natasha breathed in sharply, reaching slightly to the younger agent on the screen, Clint Barton. The other man was a tired looking scientist named Dr. Erik Selvig. Loki’s image was kneeling, looking even worse then he did now, evidently having just come through the portal.

They all had the same bright blue eyes.

“Well fuck me,” Tony breathed. “Jarvis, isolate the eyes of the pictures, as well as of Loki right now.”

“Right away Sir.”

The group waited with bated breath. Even Thor was silent as he stared at his brother, looking between the pictures and the video with a frown on his handsome face.

“Here you are,” Jarvis said promptly. The pictures on the screen faded, leaving only a zoomed in picture of the eyes. On the other side of the screen the video of Loki zoomed in even more.

Tony took a deep breath. “Analyse the colour Jarvis,” he ordered. “I want to know of they’re all the same.”

“Doing so as we speak Sir,” Jarvis replied. “Competed Sir.”

“And?” Tony croaked, wishing desperately for a drink.

“They are all identical shades of blue.”

Thor hit the table roughly, looking angrier then he had when Tony and Steve had confronted him in the clearing. Bruce and Tony automatically took a step back, while Steve and Natasha looked at Thor in concern.

“Look at the Tesseract,” Thor ordered, straightening up and moving to pace the room in agitation.

In confusion, they did. Tony was the first to notice what Thor had apparently seen. “Holy shit,” he breathed. “Their eyes are the same colour as the Tesseract.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be some overlap with the events from The Avengers at the beginning of this, as you can probably tell. I tried making it go completely AU right away, but it just didn't seem right. Sorry if you don't like that, but it seems to flow more naturally this way. :) 
> 
> Hope you liked the first chapter!


	3. Chapter Two

** Chapter Two **

 

_“You are ours, little Prince…”_

_A fist hit his side, pushing already broken ribs.  He wondered vaguely if they would puncture a lung.  Again._

_Another voice, this one behind him.  “Does the Prince want us to stop?  Does he want us to leave?”_

_He didn’t answer, resolutely keeping his mouth shut.  Nothing good came of him answering their questions; he’d learned that quickly.  The only time he responded was when Thanos, or his servant The Other, asked him something directly. The Chitauri he ignored, retreating into his head in an attempt to lessen the pain._

_Sometime he wondered if Thor would come for him, or even Odin.  But what would the Golden Prince of Asgard, or the King of the Golden Realm, want with an abandoned Frost Giant runt?_

_This time a foot connected to the side of his knee, and he couldn’t hold back a soft grunt of pain as he fell to the ground.  The group of Chitauri cackled as they surrounded him, prodding at his broken body._

_“Are we hurting you runt?”_

_More laughter._

_He bit the inside of his cheek, hard, tasting blood.  He had to keep from screaming.  Screaming only led to more pain._

_He wanted his big brother, though he was loath to admit that.  No matter how much he denied it, Thor was still the one who could make all his fears disappear, just by throwing a large arm over his shoulders. He remembered being a child and escaping his nursery to go to Thor’s room.  During the day he had complained about how Thor had his own room while he was still regulated to the Royal Nursery, but at night he loved that his brother had his own chambers without a nurse hanging over his shoulder. He would sneak into Thor’s chambers, and Thor would allow him into his bed, holding him nightly to chase away his nightmares._

_Even as an adult, Loki felt safest with his elder brother._

Loki blinked as the door opened, jarring him from his memories.  He felt his face twist into some semblance of a smile when he saw the Director of SHIELD and the Black Widow walk in, stopping an arms length from his cell.

 

“Ah, Director,” he demurred, bowing his head slightly. “To what do I owe the honour of your visit?” He kept his eyes locked on Fury, not sparing the red head a glance. He looked straight at Fury, wishing the obviously angry man would open the door at his feet and let him fall to the earth below.  Maybe then he would finally die and be free. 

 

Loki finally looked to Natasha, his smile widening maniacally. “Agent Romanoff,” he grinned. “I have heard so much about you.” 

 

She didn’t react, but Loki didn’t expect her to, at least not yet.  She had not yet been broken. 

 

He wanted Barton to get here to final free him. It was exhausting being around these humans, being on their cameras, and having to remain alert. His body was beyond his control, and most of his mind as well.  He was screaming inside his own head, watching his body move and hearing himself speak.

 

“Loki,” Fury said, drawing his attention back. “Who’s behind all of this?”

 

Loki gave a short bark of a laugh, the sound tearing his throat.  “Why, I am, Director,” he claimed loftily, despite knowing that he would never organize such an idiotic plan.  If he were the one in charge of the invasion the Earth would have already fallen at his feet.

 

Fury raised an eyebrow, narrowing his one good eye. Beside him Natasha shifted unconsciously into a fighting stance. 

 

Fury is unimpressed.  “Is that you talking, or your master?”

 

Loki glared, eyes flashing a brighter blue. Natasha’s eyes widen, noting the change with interest.  Could whatever’s controlling Loki see through his eyes?  Fury had clearly had a similar thought. 

 

“Does he know what’s going on here?”

 

Loki ignored them still, choosing to focus his attention on Natasha.  “And what are you doing here, my dear?” He asked softly, staring the women down. “You already have enough red in your ledger.” 

 

The woman stared, lips pursed in either fear or anger. She shrugged,  “I’m aiming to help.  You have something that I want back.”

 

Loki continued, despite his state of mind, enjoying the chance to talk, even if he wasn’t fully in control of himself. Talking was safer. “Drakov’s daughter,” he started. “Sao Paulo, the hospital fire…” He paused again, mentally sorting through everything Barton had told him. He hated the way his mind was under Thanos’ control.  He couldn’t think properly!  “Barton told me everything,” he continued. 

 

“Stop it,” Natasha ordered, voice harsh.

 

Loki swallowed.  “Your ledger is dripping, it’s gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?” He questioned, voice getting louder now.  “This is a child at prayer… Pathetic!”  Loki spared a glace at Fury, noting the man’s impassive face, before continuing finding himself unable to stop.  “You and kill in the service of liars and killers.”

 

“You’re a monster,” she said softly, cutting him off mid rant. 

 

“I am,” he gladly admitted, thinking about the sight of his arm turning blue as that Frost giant had grabbed him in Jotenheim. “But you’ve brought the real monster.”

 

“That’s all nice,” Fury cut in dryly. “I know exactly what’s in, what did you call it?  In her ledger. And I don’t care about it.”  He took a step closer. “I care about what’s going on right now.” 

 

“Now?” Loki intoned. 

 

“Thor’s pretty curious as well,” Fury said, clearly aiming for nonchalance.  Nevertheless, Loki felt a stirring of actual hope at the sound of his brother’s name, and his eyes quickly flashed back to their natural green. 

 

Loki felt his breathing speed up, and wanted to collapse and weep, to let the humans torture the last of the information out of him. He wanted his brother. He felt the dark presence in his mind roar into existence, and the urge left him. 

 

Fury let the shift go, deciding not to push it. He changed the subject, wanting to try and push Loki and find out more about the unknown specter behind the whole affaire.  “Loki,” he said again. “Who’s behind all this?”

 

“What makes you think there’s someone else behind this?” Loki asked lightly.  “I simply want to cause a little chaos,” he grinned.  “You mortals have, after all, named me the God of Chaos and Mischief.”

 

“Because,” Fury answered, gesturing for Natasha to leave the room. She complied; leaving the room without a backward glace, her face impassive once again.  “You’re the general.”

 

Loki raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “And?”

 

“You send in a general to control the troops. The King… the leader of the operation… stays behind.”

 

* * *

“I should be with my brother.”

 

“We discussed this Thor,” Steve said, laying a hand on the larger mans shoulder, feeling muscles move underneath his palm. “We need information, and we don’t know how Loki will react to seeing you.”

 

Thor dropped his head, feeling as though the weight of all of Yggdrasil was on his shoulders.  “I know,” he admitted.  “But he is my little brother, and he is in pain.”

 

“We need to know who’s controlling him,” Steve argued half-heartedly.  He knew if it had been Bucky in that cell he’d be fighting tooth and nail to get down there with him.  He couldn’t imagine how Thor was feeling with his younger brother, who he’d been protecting for centuries, down there. 

 

“Can you go back?”  Tony asked throwing a ball he’d somehow managed to find up in the air before catching it in his right hand.  Bruce watched the ball out of the corner of his eyes as he wrote on a sheet of paper. 

 

Thor raised his head, glancing back at Tony in confusion. 

 

Steve mirrored his expression, “go back?”

 

 Tony nodded, throwing the ball in the air again.  “Back to Asgard.”

 

Thor expression darkened, and Steve took a step back in alarm.  “You suggest that I leave my brother?”

 

“Yeah,” Tony said cheerfully. Steve wondered vaguely if he had a death wish as he moved to stop Thor from moving towards Tony. “Wouldn’t Asgard have more intel on all this?  You’re the guys with the voodoo, you should be able to figure out who’s controlling our resident God of Chaos.”

 

Thor stopped advancing on Tony, and turned back to look at the screen.  Steve sighed in relief.

 

“No one should be able to control Loki,” Thor said. “He is an unmatched mage.”

 

“Mage as in sorcerer?”  Tony asked, stopping throwing the ball, and giving Thor a look.

 

Thor nodded.  “Aye, my brother is stronger then even the Allfather in magic.”

 

“Bloody hell.”

 

Bruce looked up from his paper and shook his head. Mages, aliens, and magic staffs. This was not good for keeping The Other Guy in. 

 

Steve swallowed.  “So Asgard can’t help at all?” he questioned. 

 

Thor heaved a great sigh. “I cannot return to Asgard,” he admitted.  “The Bifrost has been damaged to much.  My father was barely able to harness enough energy to send me here at all.”

 

“Then how were you going to take Loki back?”

 

Thor shot Tony a glare, which Tony happily ignored. “The Tesseract has the power to open portals,” he reminded them.  Tony nodded in understanding, going back to throwing his ball. Steve resisted the urge to grab it out of his hand. 

 

“What about the staff thing?” Tony asked.

 

“Do you think it has something to do with this?”

 

Tony gave Steve an unimpressed look.

 

“Brucie!” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“What’s your opinion on the glow stick of destiny?”

 

Bruce pushed his glances up his nose in a nervous gesture.  “Well,” he started. “It certainly seems to be linked to all of this,” he said, stating the obvious.  “The others didn’t change until the staff touched them.”

 

“Exactly!” Tony said, clapping his hands and letting the ball fall to the floor.  “I’ve played enough video games to know that there’s something going around what that thing.  A glowing staff is never, never ever, something to ignore.” 

 

Thor came back over to the table. “I am inclined to agree, son of Stark.”

 

Tony smiled widely.  Steve had the sudden urge to duck.  “Of course I am, I’m brilliant.”

 

Bruce snorted, drawing a glare from the other scientist.  Thor looked between the two with a slightly lost expression. 

 

“Well,” Tony said, standing up suddenly. “We’re being no help here.”

 

“Fury told us to stay here,” Bruce reminded him, looking between him and Thor uncomfortably. 

 

Tony glared at him.  “We’re not being any help here,” he pointed out.

 

Bruce stood up, knowing that Tony was right. Steve frowned at the both of them.

 

“We’re under orders to stay here,” he said.

 

Bruce smiled at him.  “We’re just going to the lab,” he said.  “I need to check on my algorithm for tracking the Tesseract anyways.”

 

Tony grinned.  “I love it when people talk science.” 

 

Bruce ignored him.  “I’m going to assume that you want to stay here so that you can watch Loki,” he said to Thor as he walked over to the door where Tony stood waiting. 

 

Thor smiled, though it did not reach his blue eyes, which remained solemn as he watched Natasha leave the screen where Fury and Loki were still talking.  “You are correct, Banner’s son.”

 

“Just Bruce is fine Thor.”

 

“Bruce then.”

 

Bruce smiled at Steve, ignoring Tony who was bouncing at his side like a puppy at the thought of doing something besides sitting around a table watching a computer screen. 

 

“Watch him?” Bruce asked, gesturing towards the worried God. Steve smiled, glad that he wasn’t the only one who was concerned about Thor.

 

“I will,” he said, watching as the two scientists left the room, Tony already talking a mile a minute. 

 

“Are you aright?” 

 

Thor looked over to him.  “No,” he conceded.  “I am not.” 

 

“Sorry, stupid question,” Steve blushed.

 

“No, I appreciate your concern.”

 

“It’s the least I can do,” Steve said, coming back to stand with Thor and watch the screen with him.  And it was true.  Steve wouldn’t be any help to Fury or Natasha interrogating a lie smith, and he certainly wouldn’t be a help to the scientists.  But he could help comfort Thor.  He put a hand back on Thor’s shoulder, turning back to watch the action on the screen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's going to be a bit of repetition from the events of The Avengers, but when I tried cutting it out it didn't flow as well, or make as much sense. So I kept it. 
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter and where this is going. Please let me know what you thought! :) I'd appreciate hearing for you


	4. Chapter Three

** Chapter Three **

 

“You know,” Tony said as he stared at the numbers flashing on the screen.  “This thing shouldn’t exist.”

 

Bruce looked up from his own screen where he was trying to track the Tesseract with his eyebrows raised.  “None of this should exist,” he responded dryly.

 

Tony frowned at the screen, then at the staff. “I don’t like it.”

 

“Don’t like what, exactly?” Bruce questioned. “The staff?  The situation?  The fact that there are two Norse Gods on a flying warship?”

 

Tony shot him a withering glare. “I was just talking about the staff, but all that as well.”  He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out several wrapped candied.  “Want a mint?”

 

Bruce blinked in confusion.  “Uhh, sure?”

 

Tony grinned, and handed him a green wrapped candy. Bruce took it, slightly scared from the other scientists grin, and unwrapped it slowly.  He turned away from Tony, staring at the staff again.

 

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably and he turned the mint over in his mouth to distract himself from the feeling of foreboding that was rising deep in his gut.  Somewhere in the back of his mind the Other Guy seemed restless, as though he felt that the staff was _wrong_ as well.

 

Tony hit the edge of the counter, drawing Bruce’s attention away from the staff.

 

“Anything yet?” He asked, not wanting to stay silent.

 

Tony scrunched up his face, shrugging his tense shoulders.  “So far, no,” he answered.  “But Jarvis is getting deeper into some shit about Phase 2, and the Tesseract.”

 

“Stuff that doesn’t sound so good I’m assuming?” Bruce asked rhetorically. 

 

Tony snorted, “It sounds like SHIELD’s hiding something pretty big,” he answered anyway.  “Just what we need.”

 

Bruce chose not to answer, turning to look at the screen where they were attempting to track the Tesseract. Still nothing.

 

The door swooshed open, admitting Steve Rogers.

 

“Any luck on tracking the Tesseract?” He asked, giving Bruce a tight smile before turning to look over at the staff, as though he were drawn to it.  He visibly shook himself, and looked away. 

 

Tony eyed him suspiciously.  “Nada,” he answered, voice light. 

 

Steve sighed, easing into a parade stance. “Well, I suppose it’s too soon to know anything.” 

 

Bruce smiled at him, still slightly tense around the soldier who was obviously wary of him.  Not that Bruce blamed the other man, but it was hard to be at ease around someone who was so tense.  “We’re working as fast as possible, but there’s a lot of information to sort through.”

 

“That and SHIELD sucks ass,” Tony muttered under his breath.  Steve tensed at the slight, but didn’t reply. 

 

“Any luck with that?” He asked instead, gesturing towards Loki’s staff.

 

“Just that it gives us all the creeps,” Tony said with an exaggerated shudder, leaving his spot from in front of one of the monitors and walking closer to the staff.  He stood still for a moment, head cocked to the side as he studied the staff.

 

Steve walked to stand beside him, looking from between the staff and Tony. 

 

“Yep,” Tony exclaimed suddenly, clapping his hands together.  Bruce jumped, and smiled a bit when he saw Steve do the same.  “Still giving me the creeps.”  He raised an arm, pointing to where the hair was standing on end.  “Goose bumps, see?  I don’t even get goose bumps from horror movies, yet this thing has given them to me.”

 

“Well,” Bruce said, drawing Steve’s attention away from Tony’s exaggerated shuddering.  “How’s Thor?”

 

Steve shifted on his feet, a look of pity on his face. “He asked to be left alone,” Steve reported, walking over to Bruce.  Tony shot Bruce a grin from behind the supersoldier’s back, and went back to trying to hack into SHIELD’s databases. 

 

“Is that wise?”

 

Steve shrugged.  “It may not be,” he readily admitted.  “But he deserves to have some privacy.”

 

Bruce smiled.  “I agree.”

 

Steve smiled back at him slightly awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to another. 

 

Bruce opened his mouth and then shut it helplessly, letting the silence wash over them.  What was there to say? 

 

“It’s wrong!” 

 

Both Bruce and Steve spun around to look at Tony, who was back in front of the staff, a scanner held in his hands.

 

“Wrong?” 

 

Tony didn’t bother looking up from his scanner, shaking it slightly and then glaring at it when shaking it didn’t change the numbers on the small screen.  “Completely wrong.   It shouldn’t even exist.”

 

Bruce frowned and walked over to Tony, glancing down at the screen himself.  “He’s right,” he told Steve.  “Something with these readings shouldn’t be possible.”

 

“But it clearly is,” Steve pointed out practically.

 

Tony spun around to glare at him. “You’re not a science guy,” he snapped. “This thing is literally breaking the laws of physics just by existing.”

 

“We have two aliens in this ship, I’m done being surprised.”

 

Tony shook the scanner again, this time in emphasis. “Aliens I can get behind,” he stated. “I didn’t think I’d ever actually see an alien, let alone they’d be Norse Deities, but I can’t say I’m surprised they exist…”

 

“Seriously?”  Steve said, voice a bit high.

 

Bruce smiled at him in sympathy, though he agreed with Tony.  “There are over 400 billion stars in the milky way galaxy alone,” he explained.  “If even only a small portion of these stars have planets, that’s still enough for it to be possible for some of those planets being able to support life.”

 

Steve took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Sounds like something out of a science fiction book to me still.”

 

“I’ll bet,” Tony snorted, drawing their attention back. “As I way saying,” he continued. “This staff is giving off readings that are impossible.  The sensors can’t even tell what some of them are.”  He set the device down, scowling at it as though it was to blame for the strange readings the staff was giving off.  “Jarvis?”

 

“Yes Sir?”

 

Steve started, looking around to see who had spoken. Tony sniggered.

 

“Anything yet?”

 

“Nothing Sir, though I anticipate I will be able to get into SHIELD’s files within the half hour.”

 

Tony grinned, “Thanks Jarv.”

 

“I live to serve,” was the dry response.

 

Bruce looked over at Steve to see the solider rubbing the fingertips of his right hand against the bridge of his nose. “Do I want to know why you have…” he paused, looking to Bruce for help.

 

“A computer program,” Bruce supplied.

 

“A computer program getting into SHEILD’s files?”

 

Tony took on an outraged look, though most of it was clearly exaggerated. “Jarvis isn’t just a computer program, and he’s been running it since I hit the bridge.  In a few hours we’ll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide.”   He smiled, though it was grim now, and fished out another mint from his pocket. “Mint?”

 

Steve ignored the offer; opening and closing his mouth a couple of times.  “Yet you’re confused about why they don’t want you around?”

 

Tony put the mint back in his pocket, staring the taller man down.  Bruce watched from his corner, half wanting to leave before a confrontation erupted between the two men, and half wanting to stay and hear their conversation out.

 

“An intelligence organization that fears intelligence?” Tony scoffed, a hard look in his eyes even as the smile stayed on his face. He rubbed his chin with one hand, still not breaking eye contact with Steve.  “Historically, not possible.”

 

Steve broke eye contact, throwing his hands up in the air.  “We have no clue what’s going on,” he said.  “Loki’s being mind controlled and whoever’s controlling his is trying his hardest to wind us up.”

 

“His hardest? It could be a girl. Goddess, whatever. Or something else entirely that’s controlling him.”

 

Bruce rolled his eyes, though was grateful to Tony for lessening the tension in the room.  “Semantics Tony,” he sighed.  “Semantics.”

 

“So?”

 

“Whatever,” Steve corrected, stressing the word, “is controlling him is trying to start a war, and if we don’t stay focused, it will succeed.”  He continued, willfully ignoring the look Tony was sending him.  “We have orders, we should follow them.”

 

This time Tony did shoot him with a look of disgust. “Following orders isn’t really my style.”

 

Steve grinned, though the smile was sarcastic and looked out of place on his handsome face.  “And you’re all about style aren’t you?”

 

Bruce winced for Tony, seeing that Steve had actually managed to hit a nerve, and decided it was about time he contributed to the discussion.  “Steve,” he said softly, calling the tall man’s attention to him.  He consciously kept his expression neutral as he continued. “Tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?” he questioned.

 

Steve took in a deep breath and released it slowly. Bruce didn’t say anything further, relieved that Tony seemed to be following his lead.  They couldn’t force Steve, a solider and honest man who was used to following orders, into questioning Fury and SHIELD. They had to let him discover it for himself.

 

Steve closed his eyes briefly, looking at the both of them when he opened them.  “Just find the cube,” he ordered, and stiffly walked out of the room.

 

Tony cleared his throat.  “That’s the guy my dad never shut up about? Wondering if they shouldn’t have kept him on ice.”

 

“The guy’s not wrong about whoever’s controlling Loki though.  It’s got the jump on us.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes.  “What it’s got is an ACME dynamite kit. And it’s going to blow up in its face.”

 

“And Loki will be the one dealing with the fallout,” Bruce pointed out.  “Loki and Thor.”

 

“They’re gods, or close enough,” Tony pointed out. “If anyone’s able to take it, it should be those two.” 

 

“I’ll settle for reading all about it,” Bruce muttered, not wanting to risk the Hulk coming out in the company of SHIELD and ancient Norse deities.

 

Tony shook his head, a teasing look in his eyes. “Uh-huh.  You’ll be suiting up like the rest of us.”

 

Bruce’s eyes widened in slight panic. “Ah,” he stated, then cleared his throat.  “I don’t get a suit of armour.  I’m exposed, like a nerve. It’s a nightmare.”

 

Tony looked at him in sympathy, ignoring the monitors around them and focusing his attention entirely on Bruce.

 

“You know, I’ve got a cluster of shrapnel, trying every second to crawl its way into my heart.”  He tapped the mini arc reactor in his chest, and Bruce wanted to wince at the sound.  “This stops it. This little circle of light. It’s part of me now, not just armour. It’s a… “ he paused, as though struggling to find the right word.  “…terrible privilege.”

 

Bruce sighed.  He appreciated what Tony was trying to do, but there was a world of difference between the arc reactor and the Hulk.  “But you can control it.”

 

“Because I’ve learned how,” Tony retorted, frustratingly calm.

 

“It’s different,” Bruce protested, turning back to his computer screen.  Tony swiped the data aside, seemingly uncaring that he was potentially making Bruce (and therefore the Hulk) uncomfortable. 

 

“Hey,” he said, voice softer now. “I’ve read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should have killed you.”

 

“So you’re saying that the Hulk,” Bruce bit his lip before continuing.  “The other guy saved my life?”  He paused and took a breath, not allowing Tony to continue.  “That’s nice.  It’s a nice sentiment. Saved it for what?” He asked rhetorically.

 

Tony, of course, answered.  “I guess we’ll find out!”  He swaggered back to his own computer; bring his gaze to the screen.

 

Bruce took Tony’s lead, looking back at his own screen and forcing himself to calm down.  “You might not like that,” he said softly. 

 

“You just might.” 

* * *

Loki stepped closer to the glass wall separating him from Director Fury, his mad grin not wavering even as his head pounded in time with his heart in a mad rhythm.  He would not fail, he _could not_ fail!  Through the power of the staff and the Tesseract he could feel Barton and the other minions coming closer.  They would attack the ship, unleash the Hulk, and take him away. 

 

All was going according to Thanos’ plan. 

 

Fury watched him though the glass separating them, a neutral expression on his severe face.  “You’re being awfully quiet,” he noted.  “Are you communicating with the people you used your freaky staff on?”

 

Loki raised an eyebrow, deciding that he liked this human; who was nonchalant despite the pressures he must be under. He hoped that Fury wouldn’t be killed when the Hulk was unleashed.

 

A dark presence reared up in his mind, and a sharp spike of pain seared through his skull.  Loki allowed his mind to go mostly blank once more, not willing to cause himself more pain by attempting to fight against Thanos’ control.

 

“So?”

 

He looked back at the human, smiling at him vacantly.

 

Fury rolled his one good eye. “It wouldn’t hurt you to answer.”

 

The presence in his mind seemed to laugh at Fury’s assessment about not hurting Loki.  If Loki were to give anything away, to hint more at the plan then he was supposed to, to even consider betraying Thanos to the humans, he would know more pain then the petty mortals could begin to fathom. 

 

Fury took a step backwards, clearly annoyed now. “Motherfucking Gods…” he muttered. “Motherfucking mind control,” he continued.  He unlaced his hands from their position behind his back, gesturing to the silent guards stationing around the room to stay in position before leaving the room, not giving Loki a backwards glance. 

 

Loki watched him leave, the smile leaving his face. As far as he could tell everything was going exactly how Thanos had planned.  The mortals were desperate to find the Tesseract again, desperate to protect their feeble planet, and desperate to know more of Loki’s plan. They had no way of stopping him, and no way of knowing Thanos’ plan of destruction. 

 

And perhaps after he won, Thanos would be kind enough to allow Loki to die. 

 

* * *

Bruce staged backwards, putting the staff back down with a shell-shocked look. 

 

Tony scrapped a hand over his face, feeling his heart beat hard in his chest.  “Well,” he said, watching a Bruce staggered several steps away from the staff. Across the room, Fury and Romanoff released their guns, though Tony noted that they were still tense. “We were right!”

 

“Right?” Natasha asked dryly.

 

“Right about the staff,” Bruce clarified, voice still shaky. 

 

“It influenced moods,” Tony continued.

 

“None of this should be possible,” Steve said, voice tight from anger at the situation. 

 

“Tell us something we don’t know, Captain,” Tony bit out, honest to God angry with the soldier. 

 

Steve turned to glare at him, mouth open to retort.

 

“The staff is wrong, as you said,” Thor interrupted. The others turned to stare at him. Thor had been the only one who had remained mostly out of the argument, still caught up in worry for his brother and for Asgard.  The only time he’d spoke in anger was when Fury had admitted that part of the reason SHEILD was creating weapons was because of him. 

 

“What exactly do you mean?” Fury bit out, his hand finally relaxing away from his weapon.

 

Thor turned his stare from the staff and to the rest of the group, looking at them all in turn.  “Loki has been training in in magic for centuries,” he started, his gaze back on the staff now and his expression confused. “Through him I know something about how sorcerers are trained.”

 

“And?” Natasha prompted, clearly not in the mood for story time. 

 

Thor leveled his too blue stare at her, the weight of centuries in his gaze.  “Loki is one of the strongest mages in Asgard.  He has not needed to use a staff to focus his magi since for hundreds of years, and even then, it was solely for larger spells,” he explained.  

 

“Loki has only been using magic with the staff,” Natasha stated.  “Are you saying he doesn’t need it?”

 

“Sounds like,” Tony said, only just managing not to shrink back when she turned her withering glare on him.

 

“Nay, Lady Natasha,” he said. “He is powerful, and could raze this ship if he so chose.”

 

“But he hasn’t,” Steve said.  “He hasn't done anything!”

 

“Thor,” Fury said. “If Loki’s under mind control his magic would be under control as well, I’m assuming.”

 

Thor’s handsome face twisted into a strange look, both furious and desperately sad at the same time.  “It would take a great deal of power, more then even the Allfather holds, to gain power over someone as powerful in magic as Loki, and to be able to maintain that control.”

 

“Great,” Tony said under his breath. “We’re fucked.”

 

Steve opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Bruce, who had gone back over to the computers in order to calm himself. “Guys…”

 

Thor was immediately at his side. “You have located the Tesseract?”

 

Bruce nodded, and Tony looked at the map on the screen, seeing where the Tesseract was and doing quick calculations in his head. “I can get there faster.”

 

Steve shot him a glare.  “Look, all of us…”

 

“The Tesseract belongs on Asgard,” Thor cut Steve off. “No human is a match for it!”

 

Tony ignored him, turning to leave the room and suit up. 

 

“You’re not going alone!” 

 

Tony whipped around to glare at the other man. “You gonna stop me?!”

 

Steve approached him, standing close to him and using his greater height to his advantage.  “Put on the suit, let’s find out.”

 

“I’m not afraid to hit an old man,” Tony quipped, a smirk on his face. 

 

“Put on the suit.”

 

Bruce looked back down at the screen and felt his blood turn to ice in his veins.  “Oh my god!”

 

Steve and Tony both looked over at Bruce in question before being thrown across the room when an explosion ripped through the Helicarrier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one more chapter that has some repetition from the movie. then all original. :) At this point the "team" is still figuring each other out and are all tense and suspicious. They haven't had the time to grow together, so it felt right to keep part of the original script. It's canon divergence at this point, not completely AU. 
> 
> I've gone over it a few times, but am of course liable to miss things. Hope I didn't though!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, please, please, feel free to comment and let me know what you thought!


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm skipping ahead a little bit here, because I figure no one needs me to rehash the fight on the Helicarrier. :) We've all seen The Avengers enough to know about what went down. There are a few changes, but they're all explained here. Hope you like this chapter!

** Chapter 4 **

 

Coulson looked over at Loki’s prone form, letting out a small laugh of disbelief.  Loki wasn’t unconscious, only stunned, but a stunned Loki was better then nothing. He let the alien weapon fall from his grasp, flexing his hand where it was slightly singed from firing it.

 

“So that’s what this does.”

 

Loki moaned on the floor, but didn’t try to get up.

 

“Sir?”

 

Coulson smiled lightly at one of the soldiers, not risking taking his eyes off of the God.  No matter that he was under control, he was still powerful and completely unpredictable.  Until they could figure out how to free his mind they couldn’t risk allowing him to go free.

 

“Grab him, and put those handcuffs we brought from R&D on him,” he ordered, walking over to stand over the fallen form. “With the cell gone we’ll have to improvise.”

 

“It won’t work,” Loki rasped, causing the soldier next to him to jump.  Coulson merely blinked. 

 

“Well we’re not just going to leave you here,” he pointed out dryly. 

 

“I expect not,” Loki drawled. Another agent came over with the cuffs, strapping them on Loki’s wrists and ankles, checking to make sure they were properly secured. 

 

Coulson let the unassuming smile drop, brow furrowed as Loki meekly allowed human soldiers to shackle him and pull him up to a standing position. 

 

“Sir?” 

 

Coulson shooed the thoughts away; he had more pressing matters to attend to.  “Take him to the normal cells,” he ordered.  “They’ll be strong enough.”  He doubted they would in all honesty, but there was nothing else he could do with Loki for the moment.

 

The guards holding Loki nodded, and started to walk away faltering when Loki stumbled, listing to the weakly to the left. They were quick to recover, pulling Loki upright and marching him towards the cells, several other guards forming a circle around them for better protection. 

 

Coulson watched them leave, his small smile back, before pulling out his communicator.  “Loki is secure.”

 

“Good,” Fury responded immediately.

 

“I’m having him brought to the normal holding cells,” Coulson explained. 

 

“Do you think they’ll hold him?”

 

“The cell built for the Hulk could barely hold him, Sir,” Coulson pointed out.  “He stayed because it was part of the plan.”

 

Static came through the communicator as SHIELD’s Director sighed.  “Hopefully whoever’s pulling the strings on Loki will have him lay low while he figures this shit out.”

 

“That’s what I was thinking Sir.”

 

“I’m going to send Rogers and Stark to help guard Loki.”

 

Coulson blinked.  From what he’d heard, the two hadn’t got along.  Not that he blamed the Captain; knowing how good Stark was at pushing people’s buttons.   

 

“I’d rather Thor or Banner, but as neither of them are available at the moment, Captain Rogers and Stark will have to do,” Fury continued, as though sensing his agents unease. 

 

“Noted.” 

 

 “Coulson, get up to the bridge for damage control,” Fury ordered. 

 

“Yes sir,” he said, putting the communicator away.

 

The Helicarrier was half destroyed, Thor and Banner were God knows where, and they still had no idea who was behind everything. However, things where starting to look up.  Barton was back, they knew cognitive recalibration worked on those under mind control, and Loki was contained for the time being. 

 

Coulson allowed his smile to widen briefly as he and several other agents left for the bridge, carefully navigating around the wreckage.

 

Yes, things where finally starting to look up.

 

* * *

Loki leaned his head back against his new cell wall, eyes closed.  He could feel Thanos raging, his anger bringing sharp stabbing pains to his temples. The Mad Titan was furious to say the least. Though he had not yet turned his anger towards Loki, choosing instead to rally The Other and the Chitauri, it was only a matter of time before he remembered Loki and his failure.

 

For Loki had failed, no matter that the plan was full of holes in the first place. 

 

And Loki would suffer for said failure.

 

A small part of Loki, the part that still reveled in chaos, was amused.  But mostly he was terrified of what was to come.  There was no way that Thanos would allow his failure to remain unpunished for much longer.

 

Tony, still in his suit but with the faceplate up, watched Loki carefully, taking in his still form.  Steve stood beside him, arms crossed over his broad chest as they guarded the Trickster.  His Shield was on his back; it’s familiar weight a comforting presence.

 

“He really doesn’t look like he’s up to leading anything,” Tony remarked.  Loki had looked to full of life despite, or perhaps because of, his obvious madness. Now that he was sitting quietly, long legs crossed on the floor of the cell and head tilted back, he looked like a light wind could knock him over. 

 

“He’s not exactly working alone though,” Steve reminded him, voice tight. 

 

“True,” Tony acquiesced.  “But still, dude’s not looking so hot.”

 

“So… hot?” 

 

Tony waved a hand.  “21st century talk.  He’s not looking so good.”

 

“Ah,” Steve said, still sounding a bit confused. “He really doesn’t”

 

“Well,” Tony said, ignoring Steve as he started to speak again.  Steve shut his mouth with a look of annoyance.  “Thor did say that he fell through space, or some crap like that.”  He looked at Loki intensely.  “I wonder what actually happened.”

 

“You don’t believe Thor?” 

 

Tony looked at Steve as though he was an idiot. “Do I believe that someone fell through space and survived,” he said dryly. 

 

He turned to look at Loki again, who was still sitting with his head back and eyes closed.  “Loki?”

 

“Ermm… Prince Loki?”

 

“I heard you the first time mortal,” came the hoarse reply. 

 

Steve winced at his voice.  He sounded as bad as he looked.  He raked his eyes critically over the man’s (alien’s?) body, wincing internally as he did so.  For all Tony had joked that Loki didn’t look so good, he was correct in his assessment. Steve had seen a lot of things in the war.  Men blown to pieces, prisoners of war, men straight from the front, civilians struggling to survive… Loki looked just as bad as many of those unfortunate people had.   There was no way someone who was in this bad shape should even be standing, let alone leading an intergalactic army.

 

“Then why didn’t you say something?”

 

Loki’s eyes were still closed, but there was a faint sense of disapproval emanating from his form. 

 

“So,” Tony said conversationally, as though he wasn’t speaking to someone who was behind bars.  “How the hell did you survive a fall through the dead of space? I mean…”

 

Loki brought his head up to look at Tony, opening his eyes.  Steve noted that though they were sill the same Tesseract Blue, they looked duller. As though whatever was controlling Loki was further away in the aftermath of the chaos that had ensued. Steve took it as a good sign.

 

“Why,” Loki asked softly, looking thoroughly confused. “Do you mortals insist on using my daughter’s name as a curse?”

 

Tony stopped his rambling abruptly, turning wide brown eyes on Loki.  “What?”

 

Loki waved a pallid hand.  “Never you mind, mortal.”

 

Tony made a mental note to look up Norse Mythology the moment he had a chance before forging ahead.

 

“But here’s the thing,” he drawled. “Nothing can survive in the dead of space. There’s no air, no warmth, no…” he flailed his arms for a moment, looking strange doing so in the Iron Man suit.

 

Loki tucked his chin down, staring up at Tony and Steve with his eerie eyes.  “And mind control is possible for you mortals?  Thor, Prince of Asgard, summoning lightening from his hammer is possible? Or what about my surviving being blasted by that weapon without a scratch?” 

 

“I believe that long before I believe that anything can survive in space,” Tony retorted.  “Space, no matter how awesome, is death and destruction. Black holes colliding, galaxies expanding, supernovas spewing their guts, nothing and nothing for light-years. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence, it’s so large that…”

 

“Tony,” Steve stopping him from continuing, voice tight.

 

“What?!”

 

Steve gestured towards their prisoner with his chin, hands tense at his side. 

 

Tony followed his gaze, and swore internally.

 

Loki’s eyes were still open, but it was as if he was not truly seeing them, the disconcerting blue of his gaze staring blankly as his hands as they trembled in his lap.  His face was paler then before, with a grey tinge.  Tony studied him intently, brown eyes wide.

 

“Do you think his…” he paused, casting about for the right word.  “His master is contacting him or something?”

 

Steve shook his head, an unreadable expression on his face as he kept looking at Loki, who was still shaking in his cell completely oblivious to his surroundings. 

 

“I think we made him remember.”

 

* * *

Clint clenched his hands into fists, turning to look at Natasha. 

 

Natasha sat beside him patiently, waiting for him to speak again. 

 

“So Loki…”

 

“Is under another’s control.  We don’t know who, or what.”

 

Clint closed his eyes, turning his conversation with Natasha over in his mind.  He still felt as though there was a presence slithering around in his mind, making itself at home deep in the crevices of his consciousness. 

 

He opened his eyes.  “Well,” he said, “Loki did look like he was lost inside his own head a lot of the time.”

 

Natasha quirked her lips in a slight smile, before her face settled into an expression of indifference. 

 

“Tasha,” he whispered, wincing as his voice cracked. “He was terrified of them.”

 

She waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts and put them into words.  That was something he appreciated about her.  She knew when to push and when to back off. 

 

“He’d sit still as stone, holding that fucking staff of his.”  Clint took a breath, unclenching his hands.  “After ages he’s flinch as though he’d been punched.”

 

“Do you think he was in communication with the big boss?” She asked softly. 

 

Clint shrugged, not liking thinking of Loki as a victim no matter how much the evidence pointed him in that direction. “Maybe, probably.”

 

“It’s in the eyes,” Natasha said, changing the subject abruptly.  “When someone’s under control of the staff the eyes change colour.”

 

“Yeah, they turn the same blue as the Tesseract, I know.”

 

Natasha shot him an un-amused look. “So the staff…” she trailed off, clearly inviting Clint to finish her train of though.

 

“But Loki controlled the staff,” Clint pointed out; quickly catching on to where she was going with this line of thought.

 

Natasha rolled her eyes.  “You weren’t in the room with all of us Clint, even without Loki touching us with it… it influenced us.  Made us,” she trailed off, clearly gathering her thoughts.  “It made us angry. It brought up all of our negative emotions and buried everything else.”

 

Clint rested his forearms on his thighs, brow furrowed as he thought through the situation.  Natasha let him sit quietly, sitting beside him in silent support. He’d seen her at her worst; it was now her turn to help him. 

 

“You know what I really want to do?”

 

She smiled at him naturally, hearing in his tone that he was feeling more like himself and less like Loki’s mindless minion.

 

“What do you want to do?” She asked, humouring him for once.

 

“I really want to break that goddamn staff.”

 

* * *

 

 

_It was too hot._

_He was no longer able to sweat, his limbs shaking as he felt the heat permeate his injured body. He felt as though he was burning from the inside out, though he could not stop shivering._

_A gentle hand stroked his cheek, and a voice chucked lightly.  “Too hot for you, Frost Giant?”_

_Loki whimpered softly in response._

_The voice laughed again.  “Open your eyes for me,” it cooed._

_Loki cracked his eyes opened, his vision blurry.  It took him several times, but he was finally able to focus on the imposing figure of Thanos standing in front of him._

_Thanos bore some semblance of a smile as he watched Loki’s chest flail in a futile effort to get a deep enough breath through broken ribs and a punctured lung. He smiled at the sucking sound the fallen God’s fast breathing produced._

_“Stand up for me,” he ordered._

_Loki, to far gone to even consider disobeying Thanos, tried to get his legs underneath him. He collapsed immediately after putting weight on his left leg._

_“Well?”_

_Loki let out a dry sob, desperately trying again, for he knew what was to come if he didn’t obey Thanos._

_“Oh little Loki,” Thanos murmured, hand moving back to his cheek, then trailing over to Loki’s cracked and bloody lips.  “So pathetic.”  Thanos harshly shook Loki’s face, knocking his head against the rough stone wall. “Don’t you agree?”_

_Loki blinked up at Thanos’ large form._

_“That you’re pathetic,” he prompted conversationally, even as he lifted Loki up by the neck, his other hand squeezing his waist in a perversion of a lover’s caress._

_“Yes…”_

_“I could barely hear you there,” Thanos said, letting go of Loki’s waist to stroke through the whip marks on his back with his clawed hand, making sure to dig his talons into as many of the lashes as he could.  “But I suppose I can forgive you, given the pathetic response your kind has to heat.”_

_Loki was beginning to feel lightheaded from more then just the heat and his injuries; Thanos’ hand was still at his throat, not tight enough to choke him completely, but enough to limit his already depleted airflow._

_Thanos ’other hand was still harshly petting his back in a mockery of comfort. He seemed not to care that his prisoner was quickly losing consciousness._

_“I should throw you back to the void if you’re to continue being this pathetic.” He shook Loki again, finally letting go of his neck and allowing Loki to collapse back onto the filthy floor in a heap._

_Loki shook his head weakly, clawing at he dirt with crooked fingers. He could not bear to go back to the void with no chance of death and therefore no chance of relief._

_Thanos laughed, a demonic sound that shook the stone cell Loki was in. Outside the cell he could hear the Chitauri chattering away.  He idly hoped that Thanos would allow him a brief respite before allowing them back in to torment him._

_A foot pushed at his bruised stomach, then moved downwards.  Loki closed his eyes, hoping against all hope that his body would finally give out so he could be free from Thanos._

_Thanos finally moved away, walking over to the entrance to the cell.  “I’m going to be merciful,” he drawled.  “I won’t allow the Chitauri back in immediately.”_

_Loki could have sobbed in relief had he not been so desperately exhausted and dehydrated._

_“However,” he continued, looking down at his prisoner with a calculating glint in his eyes.  Loki began to shake harder, recognising Thanos’ tone.  “It’s a bit chilly in here, don’t you agree?”_

_The door banged closed, leaving Loki to utter darkness.  He lay despondently in a pool of his own blood and piss, muscles to weak to move._

_The heat began to rise again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't stand to cut Coulson out of the story, he's too much fun of a character and I want him to stay in this story. I may have to make other people "die" in his place though... we'll see! 
> 
> Thanks again for reading, please let me know what you thought, I love hearing from you! 
> 
> Also, anyone catch the Star Trek quote?


	6. Chapter Five

** Chapter Five  **

 

Steve’s head shot up, hearing footsteps walking towards them.

 

Tony tensed up from his position leaning on the wall watching Loki.  “Someone coming?”

 

“Yes,” Steve answered. 

 

Tony frowned, eyes not leaving Loki, who was still staring at nothing, his hands trembling minutely.

 

Several moments later a group of four heavily armed guards came into the holding cells, one without a helmet. “We’re here to relieve you,” he said.  “Director Fury wants you both to go back to the lab.”

 

Steve gave him a look of disbelief. “This isn’t exactly a normal prisoner,” he pointed out. 

 

The agent’s expression didn’t change. “Understood Sir.”

 

Steve gnashed his teeth, but turned to Tony. Tony was giving the guards an incredulous look, his thoughts plain on his face.  “That’s going to end well,” he bit out sarcastically.  “What does eye patch want us back there for?”

 

The man shook his head.  “I don’t know Sir.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes.  “Well I’m getting out of this thing if I’m off guard duty.” He made an odd motion, and the suit began to dismantle itself.  Steve watched in bemusement as the smaller man picked up the suit, now in what looked like a briefcase, and dusted off his shirt. 

 

“Convenient,”

 

“Of course,” Tony said, fiddling with a hole in the sleeve of his shirt.  “Goddamn it, I liked this shirt!”

 

Steve rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned back to study Loki once more.  The tall figure hadn’t moved despite the commotion, beside from closing his eyes. “He’s been…” Steve trailed off.

 

“Docile,” Tony supplied.  “Hasn’t made more then a peep.”

 

The guards looked back at them stone-faced, now positioned to guard Loki.  “How do you expect to contain him?”

 

The head guard raised a strange looking weapon. Steve looked at the other three guards more closely and noticed that they were all carrying the same strange looking device.

 

“And that is?” Tony demanded, voice suddenly harsh.

 

“A high powered taser SHIELD has been working on,” the leader explained promptly. 

 

“And why the fuck,” Tony growled enunciating all his words very deliberately.  “Does SHIELD need an experimental high powered taser?”

 

The guard opened his mouth, but was cut off as Tony continued to speak, voice raised in a near yell. “Tell me,” he sneered. “Is it another precaution against Doctor Banner?”

 

There was no answer.  Tony turned away in disgust and stalked towards the door. Steve followed after giving Loki one final searching glace.  Loki had been blasted by a weapon that had left holes in the ship and walked away only stunned. He highly doubted that some taser, no matter how powerful, would be able to stop him if he chose to try and escape.

 

He followed Tony through the winding halls of the Helicarrier, watching the abrasive man with curiosity.

 

“Why do you care so much?” he finally asked softly.

 

Tony shot him a glare, looking angrier then he had during their earlier confrontation. 

 

“We saw the damage the Hulk did,” Steve pointed out. “If that were to happen in a crowded city or something, he would need to be stopped before hurting people.”

 

Tony’s lip curled up.  “Bruce is a good man,” he said.  “He doesn’t need to be treated like he’s a ticking bomb.”

 

Steve nodded in agreement.  Bruce was a good and kind man.  That didn’t change the fact that the Hulk was a force of destruction, a fact he pointed out to Tony. 

 

Tony laughed, turning a corner. “Look Captain, everything might be sunshine and roses to you, but every one of us has caused destruction. Natasha was an assassin, you fought in a World War, and I made weapons for a living.”  He looked over at Steve, smiled gone.  “And based on some of the stories about the Viking, you can bet your ass Thor’s no saint.”

 

“I can see your point,” Steve admitted. “But that doesn’t change…”

 

“It sure as hell changes things! Bruce has lived in third world counties helping people as a doctor,” he pointed out.  “His record’s cleaner then any of ours, even though he occasionally turns into a big green rage monster.”

 

Steve opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when he realised they had reached the lab. 

 

“Thank you for going us gentlemen,” Fury droned, standing beside the staff.  Natasha and Clint were over by a table, Clint sitting on its shiny surface with Natasha beside him. 

 

“No problem,” Tony said, consciously keeping his voice light. 

 

Coulson smiled at Steve in greeting. Steve smiled a little nervously back, still not sure of what to make of the agent.   

 

“So,” Coulson said.  “We need a way of breaking the control over Loki. Any ideas?”

 

“I say we break that staff in two,” Clint said, glaring at the staff in question.  He was still pale and looked like he needed a good nights sleep, but he was clearly alert and wanting to be a part of this.  Steve doubted they could get him away unless they were to knock him out and stuff him in a cell along with Loki.

 

“What will happen to Loki if we do that?” he asked softly. 

 

“Who cares,” Clint muttered under his breath, wincing as Natasha smacked the back of his head in retaliation.

 

“Here’s the thing,” Tony said, pointing at the staff. “Bruce and I weren’t able to figure out what it’s made of or how it works.  I don’t know if we even can break it.”

 

“We have high powered weapons that could be used to attempt it,” Coulson told them. 

 

Tony shook his head. “They may not work, it may even make things worse for the people still under control.”

 

“What other choice do we have?” Natasha said pragmatically.

 

“Cognitive recalibration worked for Barton,” Steve said. “We could try that with Loki. He’s sure to know more about the staff then we do.” 

 

“Captain,” Coulson said softly. “I hit Loki with a high powered weapon already, one that has blasted holes in walls and has enough power to kill dozens of people at once.  It didn’t even put a scratch on him.”  He smiled a little sadly.  “Now that Thor and Doctor Banner are gone, I highly doubt there’s anything aboard this ship that could hit Loki hard enough to cause him damage.”

 

Steve let his hands fall to his side, clenching then into fists.  He hated feeling this helpless!  “So our best bet it to try and break the staff.”  He stated rather then asked. 

 

Coulson and Fury nodded in unison.

 

“So!” Tony said suddenly, clapping his hands together once loudly.  “How should we do this?”

 

* * *

 

 

The Other watched with narrowed eyes as Thanos ripped the limbs off of several Chitauri, throwing the bloody stumps across the room and roaring at anyone who tried to come closer to him.

 

“He has failed!”  Thanos roared, spittle flying from his mouth.   “The suffering I will put him though when I have him in my grasp once more…” he trailed off, deep purple face twisted in a snarl. 

 

The Other moved from his position by the wall, approaching his master with caution.

 

“There are still mind slaves under the control of the staff,” he pointed out, making sure to bow low several metres away from the Mad Titan. 

 

Thanos bellowed in mindless fury, sending the remaining Chitauri scuttling away like insects.  The Other remained where he was, laying prostrate on the floor at the mercy of his master. 

 

“We do not need Loki any longer, my master,” he simpered.  “The mind slaves who are constructing the portal are still at work.”

 

Thanos roared once more, stalking around the large chamber with steps that caused the very stone to shake, tendrils of dust falling from the ceiling.

 

“The portal is nearly complete,” The Other continued. “Soon the Chitauri will be able to go forth to Midgard and lay waste to the mortal scum.”

 

Thanos stopped pacing.  “Someone is still needed to lead the Chitauri,” he seethed. “They are too witless to go themselves.”

 

“Your pet Frost Giant should be able to escape the mortals with ease,” The Other pointed out, finally daring to move from his position on the floor. 

 

Thanos finally turned to look at him, narrowing his fathomless eyes in thought.  “Loki,” he sneered, “has failed in his task.  He shall not have the honour of leading my army.”

 

The Other remained silent, watching carefully as Thanos lowered himself onto his throne of skulls.

 

“When I have conquered Midgard I shall bring Loki back here and make him watch as I obliterate Asgard.  He shall have a place of _honour_ at my feet.”

 

The Other’s cracked lips turned back in a snarl. “Honour, for the runt?” He hissed furiously.

 

Thanos threw him a look, eyes laughing with dark honour.  “Did you think I would allow you to keep him for yourself?”

 

The Other remained silent, confirming Thanos’ question.

 

“He is mine!” Thanos hissed, raging up from his throne. “I broke him and I will keep him!”

 

He sat back down, satisfied at the sight of his general quaking on the ground in fear.

 

“You, my general, will lead the army in his place.”

 

The Other surged to his feet, uncaring that he could be killed for his cheek.  “I shall not!”

 

“You shall,” Thanos ordered, suddenly calm, completely sure that his orders would be followed.  “Someone needs to lead the Chitauri, and it will not be me.”

 

The Other fought back his fury, watching the Titan closely.  “It is beneath me to invade Midgard.”

 

Thanos looked down at him uncaringly. “You will follow your orders.”

 

“I want the runt in return,” he said bravely. “You have offered me a prize. I want the fallen Prince.”

 

Thanos stood once again, and walked down the steeps of his throne, eyes hard.  He towered over The Other, walking around his now cowering servant with slow measured steps.

 

“Do you believe that you are in a position to demand anything?”  He asked rhetorically. “Loki is mine!” He exploded, no longer bothering with a pretense of calm. 

 

The Other shrank back in fear, internally cursing himself for daring to speak.

 

“I broke him, and I shall keep him!”

 

More dust fell from the ceiling, though Thanos paid it no mind.  He kicked his servant to the ground, keeping a huge foot on his back as he spoke.

 

“Loki is mine to torment.  And he always will be.”

 

* * *

 

 

Tony sorted through the mass of weapons and equipment SHIELD agents had brought up to the lab, discarding some quickly and putting some carefully on a table. 

 

“I don’t think a saw’s going to cut it,” he said dryly, waving a small saw around.  His face brightened. “Hey, I didn’t even mean to make that pun!”

 

“It’s made out of an advanced polymer,” Coulson supplied helpfully.  “But I suppose you’re right.”

 

Natasha rolled her eyes from her place beside the table, fingering her gun subconsciously.   She’d had enough of Tony Stark to last a lifetime, and here she was in his presence once again. 

 

“You alright?” She asked Clint softly, noting that his hands were shaking slightly. 

 

He nodded jerkily and smiled over at her. “I’m fine,” he said, “just tired now.”

 

She raised an eyebrow, silently motioned for him to continue.

 

“I’m really not sure I slept all that much while I was with Loki is all.”

 

She studied his face carefully for a moment, taking in the familiar features.  Then she visibly relaxed, apparently finding something in his expression that reassured her that he was all right. 

 

“Aha!”

 

“I take it you found something that’s actually going to help,” Fury said, barely concealing his annoyance at Tony’s antics.

 

“Well, maybe,” Tony said.  “But it’s the strongest laser, except from some at Stark Industries, that’s available.”  He frowned. “I want my laser.”

 

“This will have to do,” Steve said, trying to get Tony back on track.  He’d watched the genius consume alarming amounts of coffee in a short amount of time while the agents brought in various weapons, and was slightly concerned at the manic grin on Tony’s face. 

 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Tony acquiesced. “Still not as good as my laser though…”

 

Natasha barely refrained from rolling her eyes again. Next to her Clint’s shoulders shook with silent laughter.  No one could get under her skin like Stark could. 

 

“Will it work,” Fury demanded, drawing everyone’s attention away from the spectacle that was a caffeine addled billionaire.

Tony shrugged, fiddling with some equipment to set up the machine.  “No idea,” he said cheerfully.  “We don’t know enough about the metal it’s made of to tell.  For all we know the laser might not even be strong enough to make a mark on it, what with the staff’s molecular density and its…”

 

“But it’s our best chance, right?”

 

Natasha threw Steve a grateful look for interrupting Tony’s rambling.  Steve smiled back at her cautiously.

 

Tony didn’t even bother glaring at Steve, to busy fiddling with the laser and fine-tuning it.  “Yup,” he said distractedly. 

 

The rest of the group stood out of the way as Tony worked, watching as he made small adjustments and made sure that the large machine was in correct position to hit Loki’s Staff once turned on.

 

“Okay,” he said finally, straightening up. “I can remote activate it since Jarvis is down currently, we need to get out of here while it’s on.”

 

“It’s a safe laser,” Fury said, even as he moved to leave the room. 

 

Tony shrugged.  “It may be for Earth metals, but not for this.”

 

Several moments later the group was assembled outside of the lab, looking through the thick glass hesitantly.

 

“Okay,” Tony said again, tonged pocking out the side of his mouth.

 

 Steve positioned himself to the front of the group, being careful to keep everyone else behind his bulk.  

 

“Here we go.”

 

Steve watched, tense with anticipation. “Shouldn’t we see something?”

 

Tony shook his head.  “You can’t see this type of laser with the naked eye,” he exclaimed.  “But it should be on and hitting the staff in about ten seconds.”

 

Steve silently started counting in his head, resisting the urge to close his eyes as he came closer and closer to reaching ten.

 

Down in the cells, Loki began to scream.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really wanting for them to break the staff in the movie, so I'm having them try and break it here. It just seemed like the most logical way to go about things. But oh well. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, and please let me know what you though!


	7. Chapter Six

** Chapter Six **

His skull was being cleaved in two.

 

That was the only way for him to be in this much pain. Had Thanos finally decided to deal with his runt prince’s failure?

 

No… 

 

The last time he had felt pain like this was when Thanos first tried to break him, back when he was still resisting giving into the Mad Titan’s control.  He’d quickly given in, to weak from his fall through the void to make much more then an attempt to stop Thanos.

 

Deep in his mind he could fell the Titan’s hold on him slipping, as though it was trickling out of his head, strings being snapped one by one. 

 

His mind was becoming his own once more.

 

He screamed louder as the pain and pressure increased at the same time.  There was no way he was going to survive this.  He would be free of Thanos’ control only to die. 

 

Outside of the cell the soldiers exchanged a terrified glance, watching as Loki began to scream and writhe on the grey floor, him spine arching unnaturally as he grasped his head between skeletal hands.

 

The head guard ran to the door to the cell, palming the lock to open it. 

 

“One of you go up and tell Fury what’s happening,” he ordered, not bothering to look up from Loki as he knelt down beside the fallen God.  Dimly he heard on of his guards run out of the room, while the other two rushed into the cell with him, one kneeling at Loki’s head in an attempt to prevent further damage.

 

“Is he seizing?”  The guard asked breathlessly, trying in vain to feel for a pulse.

 

The head guard shook his head, “I don’t think so.” He reached over grasp Loki’s wrists, trying to pull them away from his skull to better see his face.

 

The guard who had been attempting to take Loki’s pulse moved to help him.  “Shouldn’t we be putting him in the recovery position?” 

 

The man at Loki’s head scoffed, voice strained. “I can barely hold on as it is,” he groaned, arms tense with the effort of stopping Loki from hitting his head on the hard floor.  “This guy’s way stronger then he looks.”

 

“According to Fury he’s from Asgard, like Thor.”

 

“So he really is the God of Mischief?

 

“I thought it was God of Chaos?”

 

“Both of you stop yammering away,” the head guard rebuked harshly, not looking away from Loki’s shuddering form.

 

Both of the guards looked down at Loki, flushing at their leader’s words. 

 

“Sorry Sir,” the first guard said.

 

“I think he’s starting to stop,” the other guard sighed, leaning over to peer at Loki’s ashen face. 

 

A small trickle of blood was leaking out of the side of the trickster’s mouth from where he’d bit his tongue, and his eyes were half closed as his screams died down to piercing whimpers. 

 

The guard frowned, trying to peer into the prisoner’s eyes.

 

“What is it?” The head guard sighed. This was just what they needed.

 

“I though that his eyes were…”

 

The head guard sat ramrod straight, letting go of Loki abruptly as more adrenaline surged though his body. “What?”

 

“His eyes, Sir.  I was told they were blue like the people he’s controlled.”

 

“And?” He demanded, a feeling of foreboding spreading through his chest.  He leaned over Loki with the other two guards, trying desperate to peer into his eyes. The God was lying limp now, his head lolling to the side in the first guards lap. 

 

His eyes were bright green. 

 

* * *

 

The laser powered down slowly, the whirring of the machines quieting.  Tony grinned, walking back into the lab.  The others exchanged a quick look, before following him into the room.  The genius was standing by the staff, examining it closely.

 

“Well Stark?”

 

Tony didn’t even bother to shoot Fury a glare, to preoccupied with studying the staff. 

 

Clint, ignoring Fury’s warning glower, walked up beside Tony, staring down at the staff.  The area around the centre of it was scorched black, and in the middle of the darkened metal there was a thin crack. 

 

“Looks like SHIELD’s laser was good enough after all,” he said softly. 

 

Tony absently nodded, fingers ghosting over the crack. “I’m going to crank the laser up a bit more,” he said, thinking out loud.

 

“Why didn’t you do that in the first place?” Fury demanded.

 

Tony spun around to glare at him, and then proceeded to the laser.  “Because the laser is advanced earth weaponry and the Staff is an unknown alien entity.” He made several adjustments. “We had no idea how they would interact.”

 

“You were actually being safe Stark?” Natasha asked dryly. 

 

“In this, yes I am,” Tony said seriously. “A weird alien staff that has the power to influence peoples minds and that’s made of completely unknown material?”

 

Natasha inclined her head slightly, grudgingly acknowledging that Tony was right. 

 

Tony ignored her nod, showing the rest of the team how serious he was when he didn’t lord being right over her. He made several more adjustments, rebuffing Coulson offhandedly when the man asked if he could help. Several moments later, he stepped away from the machine. 

 

“Okay,” he drawled.  “That’s as high as it can go, even with me tinkering.” 

 

Coulson uncrossed his arms and began walking towards the door, shepherding everyone else out with him.  “Time to go,” he said.  If Stark was being serious about this they had to be overly cautious about the situation, no matter how safe SHIELD scientists claimed the laser to be.

 

The rest of the group exchanged worried glances, following the Agent and Iron Man out of the lab. 

 

“Ready?” Tony asked rhetorically.

 

Fury rolled his eye.  “Get on with it then!”

 

“I’m going, I’m going…”

 

Natasha closed her eyes and counted to three slowly, glaring at Clint when she opened her eyes and noticed him watching her with a smirk.  He looked away, fighting the urge to laugh. 

 

“And here we go,” Tony said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention back to the lab. 

 

The centre of the staff was glowing a dark blue, turning black in the middle where the crack was.  Tony watched it attentively, not willing to even blink and miss something.  They were working with advanced alien technology; the consequences of looking away could be catastrophic. 

 

The middle of the staff began to go from black to a deep blue, interspersed with flecks of silver. 

 

“That’s different,” Clint drawled, not taking his eyes away from the spectacle playing out in the lab. 

 

Tony frowned, brow furrowed.  “Nothing’s exploding though,” he said.  “I’m taking that as a good sign.”

 

Coulson held in a snort. 

 

From her spot beside Clint, Natasha shot Tony another withering glare and opened her mouth to comment.

 

“Director Fury!”

 

A breathless guard ran up to them, cutting Natasha off.

 

Steve frowned as he recognized the man as one of the guards from Loki’s cell, a feeling of unease uncoiling in his gut.

 

“Why aren’t you with the prisoner?” Fury demanded sharply, echoing Steve’s concern. 

 

Tony glanced between them and the laser, watching as more silver joined the blue and danced along the outside of the staff.

 

“Corporeal Reynolds sent me to get you,” he panted. “The prisoner, he…”

 

“Out with it man!” Fury barked.

 

The guard straightened his spine, standing upright and looking at a point past Fury’s right shoulder.  “The prisoner collapsed and appeared to have a fit of some sort; he was screaming and clutching at his head.  Corporal Reynolds, Private Hernandez, and Private Moore entered the cell while Corporal Reynolds sent me to inform you of the situation.”

 

Fury swore loudly, spinning to look at the staff and Tony. 

 

“You have to turn off the laser!” Steve yelled, making to run into the lab. 

 

“Stop!”  Tony ordered, sounding faintly panicked, reaching out and grasping the super soldier’s forearm.

 

“Somehow this is affecting Loki,” Steve seethed. “It has to be turned off!”

 

Tony shook his head, knuckles white as he gripped Steve’s arm tightly.  “It can’t be stopped,” Tony explained. 

 

“It stays on in spurts,” Coulson continued for Tony, watching carefully as Steve extradited himself from the man’s hold.

 

“How much longer will in run?” Natasha asked softly, staring at the laser with Clint. 

 

Tony did some quick calculations in his head. “No longer than 30 seconds,” he answered. 

 

“That could be too long!” Steve said desperately.

 

“We have no other choice!” Tony shouted back. “We can’t go in there when that things on in this situation!”

 

“We should have never tried this,” Steve growled angrily.  

 

“What if it works?”

 

Everyone turned to look at Clint curiously.

 

“If this breaks the control over Loki and the rest of his…” he paused, as though searching for the right word. “…Puppets, won’t it be worth it?”

 

Steve opened and closed his mouth furiously. “We have no clue what else it could do!”

 

“Well, it’s too late now,” Natasha remarked logically, as calm as if she were commenting on the weather.  “And it’s been nearly 30 seconds.”

 

Steve visibly calmed himself and walked back over to where Coulson and Fury were standing silently watching the proceedings.

 

Several seconds later the laser stopped and Steve rushed into the room, ignoring Tony’s warning cry, and rushed immediately back out.

 

“And where do you think you’re going Captain?” Fury demanded.

 

“Loki!” Steve shouted back, not bothering to stop as he continued running. 

 

Tony glanced into the room.  “Fuck.  I think Cap’s right, we should get over to the cells.”  He began walking away, stopping after several metres to raise an eyebrow. “Anyone else joining us?”

 

Natasha moved from her spot on the wall, walking steadily over to Tony with Clint trailing behind.  “Seems like,” she quipped.  “Lead the way Stark.”

 

“So,” Fury said, glancing over at Coulson with his eyebrow raised.  “Shall we see what’s got them all worked up?”

 

Coulson nodded and followed Fury into the lab, stopping only to quickly order the guard to go back to the bridge.

 

“Well,” Fury said, staring at the staff. “Looks like that laser of ours worked.”

 

The staff was glowing faintly still, silver and gold specks dancing over its surface as steam rose from its surface in lazy tendrils.  

 

It was cleaved in two.

 

* * *

Erik Selvig groaned, wondering what he had done the night before to earn such a splitting headache.  He winced as he moved his arms underneath himself to begin rising from the ground. 

 

He felt even worse then when he and Thor had gotten drunk together.  At least that time he’d woken up in a bed, and not… wherever he was.  Somewhere not very comfortable to say the least.

 

Finally getting himself situated, he cautiously stood up, his head spinning as he did so and nausea rising in his gut.

 

He glanced around, horror dawning as he began to remember.  He was standing on the rooftop of Stark Tower beside a half completed portal, it’s inner workers strewn about the ground and tools scattered about. 

 

Loki…

 

The staff…

 

The portal…

 

He doubled over, throwing up thin bile onto the ground of the Stark Tower landing pad.  He stumbled around the pile of sick, falling to his hands and knees, beginning to hyperventilate through heaves.

 

“Phone…” he muttered once he got himself under some semblance of control.  “Goddamn it, I need my phone!” 

 

Finally grasping the device (and thanking the stars that by some miracle, probably by proximity to the Tesseract, it was charged and functional) he typed in a number, hands shaking as he did so.

 

He breathed deeply through his nose as he listened to the phone ring, shuffling his body weakly to lean against the half finished machine. 

 

“Yes?”

 

Erik swallowed. “I need to talk to Director Fury,” he wheezed out.  “It’s about the Tesseract.”

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head-canon (which in canon in this story) Thanos is all about control. He controls Loki, though Loki he control's the minions, he controls The Other, and he wants to control everything. So I don't think that he would be giving Loki the staff it was a super powerful weapon. Oh it's powerful, but it's more of a tool for Thanos to keep Loki and the other people under control without exerting much of his own power. Why would Thanos, a creature bent on domination and destruction, give Loki a staff that hold enough power to destroy the world? To me, the staff is only a tool of control. The army of Chitauri is what Thanos' wants to use to destroy the Earth. Not the staff. So sorry if this is againt canon, but as I've mentioned before, this is going waaayyyy AU :D
> 
> Thanos wants to destroy everything, but he wants to do it himself basically. Why is he going to let Loki have his glory by giving him an all powerful staff? 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading, and please comment to let me know your thoughts!


	8. Chapter Seven

** Chapter Seven **

 

Steve rushed into the cell, nearly tumbling over in his haste as he skidded to a stop.

 

The guards looked up, startled, from their positions beside Loki.  They had maneuvered the now unconscious man into the recovery position.  Steve winced… Loki looked so small lying on his side, despite being over six feet tall.

 

“What happened?” He demanded, coming over and kneeling beside Loki. 

 

One of the guards opened his mouth to responded, but was stopped by Natasha, Clint, and Tony walking quickly into the room.

 

“Shit,” Tony swore, looking grey. “We shouldn’t have touched the staff.”

 

Clint exhaled shakily, eyes fixed on the form on the floor.  “To late to look back buddy.”

 

Natasha quickly crossed the cell and knelt down next to Steve, muttering something under her breath in Russian. From her tone, Steve assumed she was swearing. 

 

“We need to get him to the medical bay,” he said.

 

She nodded, reaching out a hand and wiping at some blood leaking sluggishly from Loki’s ear. 

 

“Have you alerted medical?”  She demanded to the remaining guards.  They jumped. 

 

“Not… not yet ma’am.”

 

Steve heard Tony snort, “and why the hell not?!”

 

“He stopped seizing approximately 37 seconds ago,” the head guard said calmly.  “We wanted to ensure he was stable before one of us left.”

 

“There are three of you,” Clint said, sounded angry.

 

“Yes,” the head guard agreed. Corporal Reynolds, if Steve was remembering correctly.   “And it took all three of us to hold him.”

 

Clint exhaled noisily.  “One of you go to medical,” he ordered.  “Now!” 

 

Corporal Reynolds nodded to one of his underlings, who gladly left the room at a run. 

 

Steve leaned over Loki, trying desperately to see his face to better assess his condition. 

 

“His eyes are green,” he murmured, taking in the half closed lids. 

 

Natasha peered into Loki’s face, taking in his eyes. “Well, breaking the staff broke the control,” she remarked, still sounded overly calm.

 

Tony snorted from his spot beside Clint against the wall.  “A fat lot of good that will do us if it kills him, and all the other people that were under control of the thing.”

 

Natasha stood up, shooting Tony a look.  “Or it could release them from control with limited ill effects,” she said.

 

Tony huffed in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at Loki and Steve.  Steve was still trying to peer into Loki’s lidded eyes, talking softly to him.  “Does he look like he’s been released with limited ill effects?!”

 

She shrugged.  “It could be worse,” she pointed out, ever pragmatic.

 

Tony opened his mouth angrily to respond, but was stopped by Clint.

 

Clint rolled eyes at the both of them. “Medics here,” he said, seeing a team rounding the corned to the cells from is vantage point. “That was fast…”

 

Tony looked relieved, shooting Clint a small but grateful smile before moving to the side of the cell in order to allow the med team into the crowded cell. 

 

The guards immediately backed away from Loki, leaving only Steve beside him.  The medics knelt smoothly down, placing a backboard on the dark floor.   One of them gently moved Steve out of the way, barely sparing him a glace as she began to use a small light to look into Loki’s eyes, the other medic taking his pulse and frowning.

 

“Pulse is unsteady,” he said.

 

“Possible concussion,” the other medic said, sitting back and putting her pocket light away.  “We need to get him an MRI stat,” she continued, not pausing for breath.

 

Her partner nodded, still taking Loki’s pulse. “I don’t want to risk hooking him up to an IV until we know more about his biology,” he admitted. “We don’t want to hurt him more.”

 

“Agreed,” the medic by Loki’s head said, carefully putting a neck brace on the God. 

 

Together they maneuvered Loki onto the backboard, muscles straining.  “He’s heavier then he looks,” one of them grunted.  Steve made to move forwards to help, but was stopped by Tony’s hand on his arm.

 

“They have him,” Tony whispered.

 

“I could help,” Steve hissed back.

 

“You could,” Tony acquiesced. “But they’d ask if they needed help.”

 

Natasha glanced over at them from her position beside Clint, studying them for a moment before turning back to her partner. Clint was watching Loki with unreadable expression, hands shaking slightly.  Steve watched as Natasha reached over and gripped Clint by the arm, noting that he relaxed at her touch. 

 

“Move it,” the female medic barked, Loki strapped down onto the gurney safely now. 

 

Steve started, pulling Tony out of the way of the door as Natasha did the same for Clint. 

 

Together the group watched as the medics disappeared down the hall, towards the medical bay. 

 

* * *

Fury stood beside the cleaved staff, looking it over carefully.  It was amazing that something that looked so innocuous could be so powerful. 

 

“Sir?”

 

He glanced up from the staff to see a nervous looking agent standing in the doorway to the lab.  “Yes,” he prompted impatiently when said agent didn’t say anything.

 

“Sorry Sir,” he swallowed.   “Dr. Erik Selvig’s phoned,” he reported.  “He sounds rather hysterical.”

 

Fury raised an eyebrow.  While they had known that breaking the staff could break Loki’s control on his minions, he hadn’t thought that he would get confirmation so soon.

 

“I’ll take it on the bridge,” he said, marching out of the room and past the agent. 

 

Hill was holding a secure phone to her ear when Fury entered, a frustrated look on her face.  Fury raked his eye over her quickly, searching for injuries from the fight.  She was rather pale, with a large cut on her forehead, but looked fine overall. 

 

“Doctor Selvig,” he heard Hill say, voice tight with irritation. 

 

“Doctor Selvig!” She repeated, voice louder this time. “Director Fury is here. If you want to speak with him you’re going to have to calm down first.”

 

Fury raised an eyebrow at her when she finally glanced over at him.  She shook her head in exasperation. 

 

“Thank you Doctor,” she said, attention back on the phone.  “I’m going to hand you over to Director Fury now.”

 

She handed Fury the phone, looking exhausted. “He’s rather hysterical,” she said softly.  “He apparently woke up on Stark tower with a portal to another area of space half completed.”

 

Fury moved a large hand to block the mouthpiece of the high tech phone, not wanting Selvig to overhear.  “Does he remember much from his time with Loki?”

 

His second in commanded shrugged minutely. “From what I could get from him, Loki didn’t tell him much of anything.” She smiled slightly. “Maybe you’ll be able to get more out of him.”

 

“I certainly hope so,” Fury muttered, waving Hill away. “We need all the help we can get.”

 

He heard Hill snort softly as she left the bridge to help the rest of the crew with the aftermath of the battle, and barely resisted the urge to make a rude gesture behind her back. 

 

“Fury here,” he intoned instead, holding up the phone to his ear, bracing himself. 

 

“Director Fury!” Selvig shouted into the phone. “The Tesseract…”

 

“Loki stole the Tesseract and was going to open a portal to the other side of space to let in an army, by using a bunch of people he had under mind control,” Fury finished for him, eager to cut off any more rambling.  He had too much to worry about to listen to Selvig ramble while he could be finding out valuable information from the man. 

 

Selvig swallowed loudly.  “Yes,” he said breathlessly.  “Exactly, Director.”  There was a pause.  “How was the control broken?”

 

“The staff was broken,” Fury explained.

 

Selvig shakily exhaled.  “How in God’s name did you destroy it?” He demanded, “That thing was hardy terrestrial.”

 

“A laser,” Fury said shortly. “Now…”

 

“You took a laser to a unknown artifact?!” Selvig yelped, interrupting the Director.  Fury bit back another sigh, trying to stop Selvig from continuing.  “You had no clue what that could do!”

 

“Clearly, as you’re talking to me right now, it broke the control Loki had over you,” he snapped.  “Now,” he said, closing his eye in annoyance. “What’s your status?”

 

Selvig was silent for several moments, breathing harshly.  “I’m fine, I think,” he answered, some hysteria sneaking back into his voice. 

 

“That’s good,” Fury praised, not wanting to risk Selvig becoming hysterical again.  “Do you know where you are?” He asked. 

 

On his side of the line Selvig nodded, glancing around the mess that was the roof of Stark Tower, bits of machinery strewn about. “I’m on Stark Tower,” he reported. “Sir,” he continued. “Loki was having me assemble the portal here, he’s going to bring an army through!”

 

“Did you complete the portal?”

 

“Well,” Selvig paused.  “No.” 

 

“Is there anyone else on the tower with you who would be able to complete it?” Fury continued.

 

Selvig shook his head.  “No, I’m the only one here.”

 

“So it’s not going to be finished,” Fury explained, enunciating clearly to keep the scientist calm.  Selvig was a genius in his field, but he wasn’t trained to stay calm in unknown situations.  Even trained SHIELD personal may have trouble staying calm if they found themselves in Selvig’s position. 

 

Selvig took another shaky breath. “It won’t be,” he confirmed. “It still needed several more hours worth of work, at the very least, to be completed.”

 

“That’s good.  Do you remember if there was anyone else had the knowledge to complete the portal?”  He asked softly, knowing that drawing Selvig’s attention back to his time as Loki’s slave could be a mistake. 

 

“Only Loki would be able to,” Selvig answered promptly, managing to surprise the Director.  “Do you,” he paused, taking an audibly shaking breath. “Do you know where Loki is?  Well,” he reiterated. “You must if you have his staff.” He took another, less shaky breath. “What happened with Loki?”

 

Fury hesitated for a moment before answering, choosing to tell Selvig the truth.  It wasn’t as though he wouldn’t find out eventually.  While Fury wasn’t opposed to lying to underlings when the situation called for it, he preferred to give a version of the truth when possible. It was much easier to omit information then to tell a complete lie.  “Loki was under the control of the staff as well,” he finally said.

 

“… I thought so,” Selvig muttered.

 

Fury frowned.  “How so?”  They’d only figured it out because of Thor. 

 

“He was…” Selvig paused, much to Fury’s irritation.

 

“Out with it man!”

 

“He just seemed like he was in his own head a lot, but he’d have new orders for us after sitting by himself with the staff,” Selvig explained.  “And sometimes he seemed like he didn’t care about what was going on, as though the outcome didn’t matter to him.  You’d think, if he was the one behind everything, that’s he’d care a lot more about the outcome.”

 

“Thank you for the information,” Fury barked suddenly. “SHIELD agents will be coming to your location shortly.”

 

“Wait!” Selvig shouted, voice desperate. “Who’s behind all of this then!?”

 

“That’s need to know information Doctor.” Fury said, irritable.  “Stay where you are.”

 

“Yes sir,” Selvig sighed, clearly unhappy with the turn of events. 

 

Fury hung up the phone, glancing around at the still partially destroyed command centre.   “Go get Hill,” he ordered to one of the agents working on fixing the console. She jumped, but quickly ran off to find his second in command. 

 

Fury surveyed the damage to the bridge, watching agents scuttle around like ants trying to get the ship fixed and able to stay in the air. 

 

“Sir?”

 

“Have a retinue of Agents go to Stark Tower,” he ordered, not bothering to turn around.  “Selvig’s there with the portal,” he explained. 

 

“I’ll make sure they know to treat it like a crime scene,” she promised. 

 

“Good,” he said, finally turning to look at her. The cut on her forehead had opened up again at some point and was dripping bright blood down the side of her face. “You should get that looked at,” he said. 

 

She made a face.  “Once things are under control I’ll do that Sir.”

 

Fury smiled.  “Get on it then,” he ordered. 

 

“Yes Sir,” she said, turning to leave.

 

“And Hill?”

 

She turned back, eyebrows raised in question.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

 

She smiled back at him, a bit of calm back on her face.  "I'm glad you're alright too."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how long this chapter took. I've been lost in an Cherik/X-Men spiral for the past several weeks, then once I was ready to start writing Avengers stuff again, I just couldn't get this chapter out for some reason. Hopefully I'm over that bump though. :)
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter, and as always, I would love to hear what you thought!


	9. Chapter Eight

** Chapter Eight **

He swam back to consciousness slowly and painfully, unable to comprehend what was happening beyond his pain.

 

He tried to open his eyes, to see if that would help, but found his lids wouldn’t cooperate.  He tried to scream, sucking in great gulps of air painfully into lungs that didn’t want to hold the air. 

 

He let out a small moan, rather then the scream he’d wanted.  Hands jostled him, one stroking the side of his face gently, the kind touch foreign.

 

“He needs morphine, or something, now,” a frantic voice said. 

 

“We need to know what we’re dealing with first!” Another voice called back, sounding strained and distorted. 

 

Loki took another sharp breath, feeling dizzy from pain.  The gentle hand moved from his cheek to his forehead, pushing back sweat soaked strands of hair.

 

“Is the MRI nearly ready?” 

 

“Almost.”

 

“God or not, this guy shouldn’t be alive,”

 

“Hush!”  The voice by his ear snapped.  “He’s almost conscious, he won’t need to hear that.”

 

_They're right though_ , Loki thought foggily.  _I should be dead._

“Contusions, concussion, probably internal bleeding…”

 

“Some injuries on his back have opened up…” There was an audible gulp.  “They look like lash marks.” 

 

“We’ll deal with those after,” a strong voice said, the only calm voice in the dim of panicked ones.  “We need to get him to surgery first.  You’re all medically trained.  You know the drill.  We deal with the most life threatening injury first, them move on from there once he’s stabilized.”

 

The surface he was lying on moved, making bile rise in his throat.  He gagged, chocking on it.

 

The kind hand moved away from his forehead, going to the back of his neck while another set of hands moved him onto his side.

 

He threw up thin and bitter liquid, which was quickly wiped away. 

 

“He’s pretty much conscious Doc,” the voice said softly.  “We need to make some decisions about anesthesia.”

 

The calm voice sighed harshly, and strong fingers gripped his wrist, taking his pulse.  “Get the sedative,” he ordered.  “He needs to be unconscious.”

 

**_No!_**   He would not, _he_ _could not_ , go back to unconsciousness!

 

Loki fought fully back to wakefulness, panic overriding the pain momentarily.  He forced his eyes open, jerking his wrist away from the middle-aged man holding it. The woman beside him was looking at his with wide brown eyes, talking softly to him. 

 

He ignored her, struggling away from the hands holding him down.  He frantically called on his magic; alarm rising in his gut when nothing more then feeble sparks answered his desperate call. 

 

Beside him the woman leapt back from the sparks in surprised, but rallied herself quickly, trying to grab his wrists and restrain him. 

 

“Where’s that sedative?!?!”

 

“Coming!” 

 

He arched his back, squirming away from reaching hands as adrenaline surged through his system, desperate to get away from the humans surrounding him.  If he lost consciousness again, Thanos would come for his mind. He would not allow himself to be rendered helpless again!

 

A sharp pain sparked in his thigh, and he jerked back, feeling a strange warmth come from the point of pain. His limbs quickly began to feel heavier; whatever it was they gave him worked quickly.

 

The woman beside him looked into his eyes, face lined with worry, greying hair falling out of her bun.  “That’s not going to do it,” she announced when Loki jerked violently away from her, nearly launching himself off the bed.

 

Quick hands grabbed at him, holding him down on the narrow bed. 

 

There was another sharp needle of pain in his leg, and Loki swore in Elvish loudly, voice raspy, blood leaky from the corner of his mouth from where he’d bitten his tongue.

 

“One more, I think,” I desperate voice called. Loki swore again, twisting his body and desperately calling on his magic. 

 

There was one more prick, then everything faded to black. 

 

* * *

Steve stood awkwardly in the doorway, staring down the corridor where the medical team had disappeared just moments ago. Tony appeared at his shoulder, patting it awkwardly. 

 

“There’s nothing you can do for him now,” he said softly.  “SHIELD has its issues, but their medical personal isn’t one of them.”  He paused, swallowing.  “I should know.”

 

Steve bit his lower lip, worrying it between his teeth guiltily.  Bucky used to always scold him when he bit his lip, not happy when he’d injure himself.

 

“I’m going to go after them,” he announced. “I can be there when he’s awake.”

 

“He doesn’t know you,” Natasha pointed out.

 

Steve squared his shoulders.  “He should still have a friendly face to wake up to,” he stubbornly argued.  “Thor’s not here,” he needlessly reminded Natasha, Clint, and Tony.  “The least I can do is be there to explain where his brother is, and what’s happened.” 

 

Tony smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You go then, big guy.” He clapped him on the shoulder again, walking past him out of the room.  “I’m going back to the lab, I want to see if I can get any more reading from the staff.”  He mocked saluted to Steve, sauntering down the hall towards the lab.  “Come join me if you get bored waiting for Reindeer Games to wake up!” 

 

Behind Steve Clint snorted in amusement at the genius's antics. 

 

Steve turned back to face the two SHIELD agents, throwing them a small smile.  “I’ll see you guys later?” 

 

Natasha smiled.  “We’ll meet up with you,” she promised, Clint nodding beside her, a severe expression on his face. 

 

Steve smiled once more before leaving the cell and walking in the opposite direction from Tony, walking quickly towards the medical bay. 

 

“So,” Natasha started, spinning to face Clint once she was sure Steve was out of earshot. 

 

“So,” Clint echoed dryly, sliding down to sit against the wall, hands clasped in his lap. 

 

She gave him an unimpressed look.   “You’re never this quiet.”

 

Clint laughed, “Not true,” he protested. “I’m often very quiet.”

 

Natasha shook her head, red hair bouncing around her face.  “Not like this,” she protested, coming to sit by his side. 

 

He exhaled harshly.  “I want to hate him,” he finally said after several minutes of sitting in silence. 

 

“Then hate him.”

 

“I can’t!”  He snapped.  “He was under control, probably even more then I was.”

 

“Clint,” she said, expression serious. “You didn’t see or hear whatever was controlling Loki, you only saw and heard Loki.”

 

“Yeah…” he trailed off, not completely sure where she was going with her train of thought. 

 

“Of course you’re going to be blaming him, emotionally, even though you logically know it wasn’t his fault!” She pointed out, exasperated.  “This isn’t exactly a logical situation.”

 

Clint let out a barking laugh. “You can say that again,” he mumbled.

 

Natasha opened her mouth, a glint in her eyes.

 

“I didn’t mean it!” He cut her off.

 

She closed her mouth with an audible snap, smirking mischievously. 

 

“In all honesty,” she said, completely serious again. “Do you want to leave?”

 

Clint didn’t answer for several moment. “No,” he finally said.

 

“This isn’t in our job description Clint," she reminded him again.

 

“I know,” he said.  “But we’re in too deep now.  That, and we’re both too curious for our own good.”

 

“True,” she agreed.  She sat forwards, angling her body to better see his face. “But do you think you’ll be able to work with Loki?”

 

“Loki may not even be alive,” he pointed out half-heartedly. 

 

Natasha just raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

 

“We’ve both worked with worse,” he joked. “Remember the guy from Canada? Logan or something?”

 

She shuddered jokingly.  “It took me forever to get the smell of cigars out of my clothes.”

 

“I have no choice but to work with him,” Clint answered finally. 

 

“You do have a choice,” she disagreed.

 

Clint shook her head.  “Not if I want to remain part of this,” he said firmly. “And I do.  I couldn’t just pack up and leave after all of this. Could you?”

 

“Of course not,” she scoffed. “We’re spy’s; we’re both to curious for our own good.”  

 

Clint smiled.  “Are you alright?” 

 

“I’m always alright,” she said dryly.

 

“Tasha,” he scolded. 

 

“I don’t want to leave either,” she said. “I’m invested in this now.”

 

He smiled at her, standing up and offering her a hand. She took it, pulling herself to her feet. 

 

“There’s not much we can do now,” she said.

 

Clint nodded, hands in his pockets as they left the room together.  “We can’t help with the staff, there’s nothing we can do regarding Loki, and Fury will have cleanup almost done.”

 

“Not to mention there’s nothing we can do to find Banner and Thor that SHIELD won’t already be doing.” She added.

 

Clint nodded.  He’d forgotten about them in the chaos. 

 

“Well,” he said, turning to shoot her partner a grin. She stared back at him expectantly. “Why don’t we go look up Norse mythology?”

 

“Maybe they’ll be something about what we’re facing in there,” she smirked, finishing his thought.  “Good plan.”

 

“I thought you’d like it,” he said, gesturing for her to leave the room.  “Lead on.”

 

 

* * *

Tony wandered through the halls, frowning slightly. He could have sworn he’d gone the right way… 

 

He shrugged, turning down another hall. What he wouldn’t do for Jarvis right now.  The Helicarrier was way too big, with way to many identical hallways. 

 

“Mr. Stark!” 

 

Tony turned around, eyebrow already raised in question.

 

“Director Fury would like to see you on the bridge,” he reported.

 

“Lead on then,” Tony sighed, following the uniformed man.  At least he wouldn’t get lost this way. 

 

Several twists and turns later they reached the mess that was the bridge of the Helicarrier, staring at Fury’s back.

 

“What’s up?” He asked, coming over to stand beside the other man, staring down at the mess on the deck.  He whistled.  “That sucks.”

 

Fury shot him a look. 

 

Tony held up his hands in mock surrender, lips twitching in a smirk. 

 

“Doctor Erik Selvig called,” Fury started without preamble.  “Breaking the staff released him with no ill effects.”

 

Tony smiled coldly.  “Good.  Though that doesn’t help the guy who was just seizing in your cells after we broke it.”

 

“No, it doesn’t,” Fury sighed. “That’s not what I want to talk to you about though,” he continued. 

 

“Oh,” Tony quipped.  “So you want me here for my sunny personality?” 

 

“The portal wasn’t completed,” Fury continued, as though he hadn’t been interrupted.  “Selvig snapped out of it before he could finish it.”

 

“Well, something’s finally going good for us.”

 

Fury made a noise of agreement, studying Tony intently.

 

Tony fought the urge to squirm under the intense gaze, meeting Fury in the eye. 

 

“He woke up on your tower.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to get going soon, now that we're in total AU territory. Bruce and Thor will (finally) be making a reappearance, Tony's not going to be pleased that his tower's being used, and Loki's going to wake up a bit confused.
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter, even though it was a bit short. 
> 
> Please let me know what you though, I love hearing from you all :)


	10. Chapter Nine

** Chapter Nine **

 

Thor grinned, finally finding Mjölnir in the long grass, feeling complete as she flew into his hand.   He glanced around, squinting in the bright sun.  He was in the middle of a grassy field, similar to those on Alfheim.

 

He winced in memory. The last time he’d been on Alfheim he’d been with Loki on a rare trip without Sif and the Warriors Three. They’d gotten so drunk they’d passed out on the wooden floor of their shared room, both to dizzy to make it to their respective beds. 

 

Thor shook his head, forcing the memory from his mind.  There would be more good times to come with his brother, after they defeated this new enemy and Loki was healed. 

 

And he would be healed.  Thor couldn’t even begin to consider the alternative.

 

Thor looked up into the clear blue sky, unease roiling in his gut.  Something was wrong.  There was a change in the air, something malevolent on the breeze.

 

He grit his teeth, glancing around with narrowed eyes.  Off in the distance there were some small gray buildings. He shrugged, deciding that that would be a good enough place to go.  Spinning Mjölnir, he launched himself into the air. 

 

Several moments later he landed next to one of the buildings with a crash, the concrete floor splintering under his feet in a spider web pattern.

 

“Holy crap!” A voice called, high pitched with anxiety.

 

Thor spun around, pushing messy blond hair out of his eyes.  “Banner!  I did not expect to see you here,” he paused, taking in the smaller man’s state. “Are you not cold?” he asked, remembering from his time on Earth that humans became cold much more easily then the Aesir. 

 

Bruce shook his head, smiling softly as he gingerly walked over to the God, pulling up his borrowed pants as he did so.  “Not really,” he said.  “I, uh, tend to run warm from the other guy.”  He fiddled with the hem of the two big t-shirt with nervous hands.

 

Thor nodded, grinning at the man.  “Your other form is indeed a force to behold,” he complimented, admiration clear in his voice. “If you’d allow me, I ‘d love to fight with him again once we are finished with this.”

 

Bruce coughed, eyes wide.  “You’d want to fight him?!”

 

“Of course!” Thor said, patting Bruce on the shoulder.   Bruce staggered, nearly falling.  “He reminds me of the Berserkers in my father's army.”

 

Bruce’s eyes narrowed in consideration, though relief was clear on his face from Thor’s acceptance of the Hulk.

 

Bruce cleared his throat.  “So,” he said, changing to subject.  “How did you end up here? And not on the Helicarrier?”

 

Thor’s face darkened, and Bruce took a hesitant step away from him. “I was tricked into the cell,” he said shortly.  “And the cell was released.”

 

Bruce let out a breath, successfully reading between the lines to know what had happened. “So you don’t know if he’s alright?” He asked softly.

 

Thor shook his head negatively, handsome face drawn.  “No, friend Banner.  I do not.”

 

Bruce nodded his head, considering his words carefully.  “Everyone knows that he’s being at least partially controlled now,” he said thoughtfully.  “They aren’t going to attack him to kill.”

 

“But even I could not blame them if they needed to defend themselves. Even weakened, Loki is a formidable warrior.”

 

Bruce laid a hand on Thor’s large arm, squeezing in silent comfort.

 

After several moments Thor looked over at him, face clear of worry. “So Banner,” he said, voice loud. “You know this realm much better than I do.  Where should we go?”

 

Bruce bit the inside of his lip, considering the options for where Loki (or whomever was controlling him) would have sent Selvig to set up the portal, thinking through the options. 

…Oh

 

“I know where to go.”

 

* * *

Clint slouched back in his chair, feeling nauseous as he looked blankly at the blurry words on the screen.

 

“Jesus Christ,” he swore, running a hand tiredly over his face.

 

Natasha was still leaning forwards, re-reading part of the article. 

 

“They took his children,” she said, voice hard. 

 

Clint exhaled noisily. “This can’t all be true,” he snapped.

 

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him in question. 

 

“You saw how worried Thor was about his brother, more then I did,” he pointed out.  “Does it really seem as though he would allow this to happen?”

 

Natasha nodded her head slightly, conceding that Clint had a point.  “Maybe there’s another Loki,” she said dryly, finally leaning back from the screen, rubbing her eyes roughly. 

 

“There did seem to be some confusion about whether or not he’s Odin’s brother, his son… or a different species entirely…”

 

“We need more information.”

 

Clint shot his partner a wry look. “This isn’t exactly the stuff you bring up cheerfully,” he scoffed.

 

“If even half of this is true I wouldn’t blame him for trying to destroy the world out of anger, staff controlling him or no.”

 

Clint studied Natasha carefully, taking in the tense shoulders and guarded (well, more guarded) expression. “This is really bugging you, isn’t it?”

 

She looked at him with a rare unguarded expression.  “Clint,” she started, swallowing. “If this is true he’s been tortured, lips sewn together for something completely stupid, chained to a rock with the entrails of his…” she trailed off, voice a growl. 

 

Clint shut his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose.  “Norse mythology sure is fucked up.”

 

Natasha snorted, hair falling into her eyes.  “That’s putting it lightly.” She looked back to the screen, clicking on another link.  “Do you think he really gave birth to an eight-legged horse?”

 

Clint shuddered, glad for the change of subject.  “That’s not something I want to ask him.”

 

“We’ll leave it for Stark to ask,” Natasha said wryly.

 

Clint blanched. “He would ask too. The man has no tact.”

 

Natasha finally smiled, a small upturn of the corner of her lips. 

 

“No matter what, we need more information,” Clint sight.  “Well,” he said, reconsidering his statement. 

 

“We need more accurate information,” Natasha finished for him. 

 

Clint nodded. “Exactly.” He stood up, stretching and laughing at the look on his partner’s face as his spine cracked.

 

“We should go to the medical bay,” Natasha said, standing as well after turning off the computer they’d been using.

 

Clint raised an eyebrow at her curiously. 

 

“The doctor’s need to know to treat Loki as though he’s made of glass, even now that the influence from the staff is hopefully gone,” she explained, walking to the door.

 

Clint followed her at a slow pace, closing the door behind him.  “They’ll be doing that no matter what,” he pointed out as they meandered down the halls of the Helicarrier together.  “He looked like he needed some major work done to patch him up.”

 

“That’s putting it lightly.”

 

Clint knocked his shoulder against Natasha’s, grinning at her glare.  “Come on,” he said softly.  “Let’s go and spar for a bit, or something.”

 

Natasha stopped walking, arms crossed tightly over her chest.  “We should go to med bay.”

 

“Hey,” Clint said, voice serious. “Steve’s already there with him. He doesn’t need more people crowding him when he wakes up.  And he definitely doesn’t need us charging in and asking about the gory details of Norse Mythology.”

 

Natasha exhaled noisily. “You’re right,” she admitted.

 

“I know I am. How painful was that to admit?” He jeered, and then took the swipe to the back of his head.  He knew it was coming. 

 

“Once we see Thor again, we will be having a conversation,” she said, voice hard. 

 

Clint nodded resolutely, starting to walk again, leading the way to the small gym.  “Yes,” he said.  “We most certainly will.”

 

* * *

Tony spun back to stare at Fury. “What do you mean, exactly?” He demanded.

 

“I mean,” Fury drawled. “That Selvig and the half finished portal machine are at Stark Tower in the middle of Manhattan.” 

 

Tony stared blankly at the Director. “But nobody touches my stuff.” He said, voice hard.

 

“Clearly someone did,” Fury retorted. “Now,” he continued, clasping his large hands behind his back.  “I’ve sent an…”

 

“I’m going back to the tower,” Tony interrupted, turning on his heel and starting towards the door, frowning when he found it blocked by agents. 

 

“A squad of agents have already been sent,” Fury stated calmly.  “They will report in, then once the place is secured, you will be allowed back.”

 

Tony narrowed his eyes at Fury; taking in the tense set of the other man’s shoulders, the steel in his gaze. Fury wasn’t going to be giving in on this. 

 

“You will inform me of what they find?” He half questioned, half demanded. 

 

Fury stared him down for another long moment, before nodding.  “Yes,” he said simply.  “You will be informed,” he said, voice honest. 

 

“Thank you,” Tony replied, relaxing slightly. Fury was many things, but he wouldn’t be keeping this from Tony.  At least not if he wanted Stark Industries to continue to make donations to Shield’s R&D Department. 

 

“Not if you don’t mind,” Fury continued.  “I have some work to do.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes at the director turned away, sarcastically saluting at his back.  “Goodbye to you too…” he murmured, shoving his hands in his pockets as he left the bridge. 

 

He wandered the halls blankly for several long moments, feeling completely helpless, before turning on his heels, remembering abruptly the way to the medical bay. He needed to see Loki again.

 

Tony stopped before entering the room, watching with narrowed eyes as the Captain clasped his hands in his lap, staring down at Loki’s prone form.  He worried at his chapped lips, feeling sick as he looked into the room, before shaking himself slightly and opening the door.

 

“Hey,” he said in greeting, dropping into a chair beside Steve. 

 

“Hey,” Steve replied, sparing Tony a small and tired smile.  

 

“So I found out where there were going to have the portal,” he stated bluntly.

 

Steve sat up sharply, brow furrowed. “Oh?” He said seriously. “Where?  And what do you mean going to have?”

 

“Selvig, the scientist Loki had under control, woke up and called Fury.  The portal wasn’t finished.”

 

Steve let out a slow breath. “That’s good,” he murmured softly.  “Is Dr. Selvig alright?”

 

Tony shrugged. “He was well enough to call Fury… which might mean he’s not okay now that I think about it… but he’s not hurt if that’s what you mean.”

 

“That’s good,” he said again, ignoring what Tony said about Fury.  “Where was the portal being set up?”

 

Tony let out a sharp laugh. “On my fucking tower,” he snapped, still unhappy about that development. 

 

Steve ignored Tony’s language, having heard more then his share of cursing growing up in Brooklyn, then from his time in the army.  “But why there?” he demanded curiously.

 

“Cause it’s awesome,” Tony said distractedly. 

 

Steve rolled his eyes, eyes drifting back over to Loki, thinking he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Loki’s a full-tilt diva,” Tony said. “Or at least he’s acting like it while under control.  And considering he’s a God…” Tony paused, tilting his head to the side.  “He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered…”

 

Steve looked up from his study of Loki’s fingers as Tony stopped short, raising an eyebrow when he saw the blush on the genius’ face.  “Kind of like at Stark Tower?” he questioned dryly. 

 

Tony shot him a glare. “Hush, you.”

 

Steve grinned, biting down a laugh, before changing the subject.  “So, what are we…”

 

A keening moan from the bed interrupted him.

 

Steve slipped out of his chair, kneeling beside the bed and hesitantly grabbed Loki’s translucent hand.

 

Tony half stood from his chair, not sure what to do. 

 

“Loki?” Steve whispered, staring unblinkingly at the man’s face, taking in minute movements as he struggled back to consciousness. 

 

Loki let out several more sounds, pained whimpers and hitched breaths, as his limbs twitched under the scratchy hospital sheets. 

 

Tony walked over to the other side of the bed, wringing his hands in front of his as he watched Steve try and coax Loki into consciousness. 

 

“Loki,” Steve said again, voice soft and calm.  “You’re safe here,” he continued, using his free hand to push some hair away from the man’s face. Loki trashed weakly, shaking his head against the pillow in an effort to push the pain away. 

 

“There you go,” Steve said, smiling slightly as Loki turned towards his voice, eyes still closed as he inched towards wakefulness. 

 

Tony stepped closer to the bed, staring intently at the figure on the bed as his eyes fluttered faintly. “He’s almost back,” he breathed, not daring to blink. 

 

Steve nodded, not looking away from Loki.  He stroked the side of Loki’s face gently, wanting the man to know that he was safe, even though he was in an unknown place with unknown people. 

 

Loki groaned again, louder and deeper this time, eyes opening and closing quickly, squinting at the bright lights. He flinched, hand twitching In Steve’s grasp.

 

“Tony!” Steve said, glancing up at the other man. 

 

“On it,” Tony said, already halfway to the wall to turn down the light. 

 

“That better?” Steve asked once the lights were dimmer.  “You’re safe here Loki,” Steve reiterated, watching Loki’s eyelids slowly open.

 

Tony took his place on the other side of the hospital bed again, hands making an aborted gesture, as though he also wanted to reach out and grab Loki’s hand in an effort to comfort him.

 

Loki blinked one more time, eyes finally opening. 

 

Steve smiled at him in relief, letting out a breath.  “There we go,” he said, trying to sound at calm and optimistic as possible, internally cringing at the fearful and broken expression on Loki’s face. 

 

On the other side of the bed Tony whistled softly.  “I take back what I said earlier,” he whispered. 

 

Steve looked over at him for a short moment to glare at him, before turning his attention back to the barely conscious figure on the bed.

 

“His eyes are way better green.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... I suck at updating. Summertime is crazy for me with work, so updates will be a bit slower for awhile. Sorry! 
> 
> Hope you liked this chapter, please let me know what you think!!!!


	11. Chapter Ten

** Chapter Ten **

Thanos squeezed the arms his throne, allowing his anger to course through his body, for once not entertained by his servant, The Other, and the Chitauri generals cowering at his feet like cockroaches.

 

Loki had been freed.

 

Along with the other thralls, but Loki… Loki was his.  And he wanted him back. 

 

“You will go to Midgard,” he said, voice silky and low.  “To the portal.”

 

The Other looked up from his cowering position, fear warring with displeasure in his eyes. “Yes, my master,” he said after several long moments. 

 

Thanos tapped a finger on a skull, considering his next move.  “Kill anyone who is there,” he ordered.  “Then leave.”

 

The Other gave him a sharp look, lips twisted in confusion.  “Will we not salvage the portal?”

 

Thanos shot him a quelling look, stopping any questions.  “Leave the portal for the mortals to attempt to study, but take the Tesseract to a new location.”

 

“Yes, Lord Thanos”

 

“I care not where,” he continued as though her servant had not spoken.  “As long as the Tesseract is kept safe now that Loki is no longer in my grasp.”

 

He stood from his throne, the bones composing it creaking as his weight shifted, walking with slow steps down to The Other, grasping him by the neck.  His servant let out a strangled gasp as Thanos’ large hand tightened around his windpipe, slowly cutting off his air.

 

“Do not fail me,” Thanos hissed, tightening his grip.  “For I shall know if you have, and you will be punished.  Severely.” 

 

He let the smaller form fall from his grasp, smiling cruelly when he heard his servant’s raspy gasps for air.

 

“I shall not fail you, Master!”

 

Thanos ignored the simpering, stalking over to look out at the darkness beyond the barren moon and shattered rocks that comprised his base of operations.  “Without the portal, the Chitauri will not be able to go to Midgard.”

 

He spun back around, kicking at one of the Chitauri as he did so, eyes widening in pleasure at sound of vertebrae cracking under the force.  He pushed harder with his armoured foot, letting out a dark rumbling laugh as shattered bones penetrated into flesh, the Chitauri soldier underneath him gagging on blood. 

 

There was a louder crack, accompanied by a strange squelching sound, and the form under his foot stilled.

 

He kicked the dead warrior out of the way callously, not bothering to look where the corpse landed. He circled his servant slowly, enjoying seeing the way he groveled at his feet. 

 

“Do you understand what I want from you?”  He cooed, voice deceptively soft and kind. 

 

“Yes Master,” The Other blubbered, not daring to look up and face the Mad Titan. 

 

“Good,” Thanos cooed, walking lazily back to his throne and settling himself once again on the bones of those he had killed, some still covered in rotting muscle and sinew. He idly flicked a maggot off the thigh that was still decomposing.

 

“Go then!” He snapped, pulling together enough energy to create a small portal through which to send his servant.

 

The Other scrambled to his feet, shoving a still cowering Chitauri out of his way, and made his way over to the portal as quickly as he could. 

 

Thanos watched him disappear and allowed the glowing portal to disappear into nothingness, before turning his attention back on the remaining Chitauri. 

 

It was time to have some fun.

* * *

Loki turned his head weakly, squinting up at the Captain. 

 

“Why,” he questioned, voice raspy, “am I wearing a sheet?”

 

The Captain huffed out a laugh, relief clear in your eyes.  “You’re in medical bay,” he said.  “Um, the infirmary.” He added when Loki looked at him blankly.  “The healing ward?”

 

Loki raised an eyebrow, hand shaking slightly in Steve’s grasp. 

 

On the other side of the bed Tony pressed the call button, hoping that the Doctor would hurry the hell up.

 

Loki pulled his hand from the Captain’s, bracing himself to sit up. 

 

“Hey,” Tony said, back beside the bed in a flash. “No sitting up. Why are you sitting up?”  He put a gentle hand on Loki’s shoulder, jumping at the God’s reaction. 

 

“Hey,” Steve said gently, throwing Tony a quick “back off” look when he saw Loki violently flinch at the point of contact.  “He’s right. You’ve been through the ringer, you should stay lying down.”

 

Loki lay back against the pillows slowly, eyeing both Tony and Steve with distrust, fear, and desperation.

 

Thanos’ influence was gone from his mind for the first time since the Titan had found him and shaped him to do his bidding.  He could rally against Thanos to stop him from destroying the realms, and destroy the mad man once and for all.  He could… he could…

 

Or he could run.

 

Leave his brother and the weak mortals behind and run to the very edges of the universe. Run so far and so fast that even Thanos and his minions would take eons to find him.  He could jump from forsaken planets to forgotten realms, never staying in one place long. 

 

_… there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you…_

 

Loki’s hand’s tightened on the scratchy sheets of the hospital bed, knuckles turning white.   His breaths came in fast pants, The Other’s promise coming back to him. 

 

_You think you know pain?  He will make you long for something as sweet as pain!_

“Loki?”

 

Loki jerked to look at the Captain, eyes wild. 

 

“He will find me,” Loki breathed.

 

Steve and Tony exchanged concerned looks from across the bed. 

 

“Who will find you?” Steve asked softly, strong hand twitching, as though he wanted to pry the poor sheet from the God’s grasp and hold his hand in comfort.  He refrained, remembering Loki’s reaction to Tony touching him on the shoulder.  He was lucky Loki hadn’t freaked out when he woke with Steve grasping his hand.

 

“There is nowhere he will not find me,” Loki continued, oblivions to Steve’s question.  Tony frowned, glancing over at the door in hopes a Doctor was about to enter. 

 

Steve swore under his breath as Loki’s breathing became more and more shallow and fast, throwing caution to the wind and grasping both of the other man’s freezing hands in his.

 

“Hey,” he soothed.  Loki feebly tried to pull his hands away.  Steve held on strongly, looking into Loki’s eyes earnestly. “You are safe.” He said firmly. “Right now you are in the safest place you could be.” 

 

Loki shook his head, dark hair flying into his eyes. 

 

Steve licked his lips. “Loki…”

 

The door opened abruptly, and a doctor and nurse entered the room brandishing stethoscopes.

 

Loki took the moment of distraction to rip his hands away from the super solider, squaring his shoulders and pushing down his emotions with desperation. 

 

“It’s nice to see you awake,” the doctor said, voice carefully light and cheerful.  The nurse, who’d moved to the machine’s beside Loki, smiled as well, showing off white, slightly crooked, teeth. 

 

Loki eyed the pair suspiciously, green eyes narrowed. 

 

“Hello,” the Doctor started calmly, keeping his distance from the bed when he saw the tense set of his patient’s shaking shoulders.  “I’m Doctor Aweda.”

 

The nurse finished with her tinkering, and came to stand slightly closer to Loki, “And I’m Nurse Gravel,” she said, the kind smile still on her face. 

 

The doctor took a small step closer to the bed, as though he was approaching a skittish colt.

 

Loki looked at the hand the doctor extended with fear and distaste, glaring down at it. 

 

Dr. Aweda stopped once he reached the side of the bed, hands kept where his patient could see them. “Now…”

 

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, as Loki swung his legs weakly off the bed and prepared to stand.

 

“Hey,” Tony said, startled. “You shouldn’t…” he trailed off as Loki turned to look at him with a vicious glare, made all the more terrifying when Tony saw the frantic look in the Gods eyes.

 

Steve cautiously positioned himself beside the doctor, now wanting to have to grab the obviously distraught man, but prepared to do so if he had to. 

 

“Where are my clothes,” Loki depended, finally managing to stand on shaking legs.

 

“They had to be cut off you,” the nurse offered, a look of deep concern on her face as she watched him.

 

Loki swore under his breath in a different language.  It sounded vaguely Swedish to Tony.  Loki then snapped long fingers, and was suddenly, magically clothed.

 

Despite the seriousness of (or perhaps because of) the situation, Tony couldn’t stifle a grunt of annoyance. He was getting real sick of being shocked by so-called magic. Ignoring his slight annoyance and disbelief, he approached Loki again, hands up in the hopefully universal sign of surrender.

 

“Loki,” he started, in what he hoped was a soothing voice. “You’re too badly hurt to be…”

 

“This is a healing wing, is it not?” Loki interrupted.

 

“…it is,” the nurse answered, creeping even closer. “And we want to…”

 

“Then give me something for pain and be done with it!” He snapped, not even caring that admitting to pain would’ve at one point injured his pride.  His pride was now non-existent. 

 

“Loki,” the doctor said firmly, coming to stand in front of his shaking patient. This had gone on long enough. “Let us help you,” he continued. “You need rest, not to be gallivanting off somewhere.” He smiled reassuringly.  “We can help you.”

 

Loki gave the tall man a look of deep disbelief. “Your world is potentially on the brink of destruction,” he started, sounding vaguely hysterical. “The fate of this planet is in the balance, and you want me to lay bed?”

 

Doctor Aweda looked over his patient critically, weighing different options.  “I will give you medication to take the edge of the pain I know you must feel,” he said slowly.  “And allow you to help,” he continued, holding up a hand to stop Loki’s protestations. “If this situation weren’t so disastrous, I’d find a way to keep you here.”  He smiled slightly. “Please allow Nurse Gravel and myself to examine you once more though.”

 

Loki, looking at the doctor oddly, nodded slightly, before lowering himself back down to the bed.

 

Steve smiled down at him, “You sure you don’t want more of a break?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

 

Loki simply looking up at him with hooded green eyes. 

 

“Okay!” Tony interrupted. “You’re helping us then?” He demanded. “Cause really, it does make way more sense for us all to work together.” He paused; ignoring the look Steve was shooting him before going in for his kill shot. “I mean, you’re brother’s already helping us so…”

 

Loki’s face twisted oddly. “I have no brother,” he murmured, allowing the nurse to check his injuries and fix his IV. 

 

Steve sat down on the chair next to the bed, an expression of deep sympathy etched on his face. “You know, we were all prepared to fight you as well,” he started, ignoring the glare Tony sent him. “Thor was the one that noticed your eyes were blue, that you were acting oddly. He loves you.” Steve smiled. “A blind man could’ve seen that.”

 

Loki said nothing, but swallowed loudly, before drawing in a shaking breath.

 

The doctor ignored both Tony and Steve, focusing on helping the nurse re-bandage lacerations and check healing bones.

 

Tony watched with horror as injuries were revealed, feeling slightly sick to his stomach.  “You know,” he started, voice slightly higher than normal. “No one would blame you if you stayed here. I mean, we all saw your x-rays. You shouldn’t even be alive,” he finished bluntly. 

 

“Real nice Tony,” Steve muttered, unable to resist rolling his eyes.

 

Loki raised an imperious eyebrow, daring the shorter man to continue.  

 

“Just saying,” Tony said.

 

“I am a...” he swallowed what he was about to say, before continuing. “I am not human.”

 

“Yeah we, we uh, got that,” Steve said. Whatever Loki was, Steve knew that he was bound to breakdown soon enough. Whatever species he was, no one could withstand this. It was only a matter of time.

 

And Steve promised himself he would be there for Loki, or ensure the frail looking man was with people who loved him, when that time came.  And if Thor was to be believed (and Steve couldn’t help but trust him) there those who did.

 

Loki leaned back against the pillows, clenching shaking hands into fists.  He hated himself for even daring to hope, to think that things would be okay. That they could go back to the way things were before.

 

The way they were before he fell.

 

When he could spend hours reading in the library, or practicing spells.  When he was the ignored, but mostly happy, second son, secure in his position. When he could sit talking with his mother for days on end, while Thor and his friends where of adventuring.

 

But that could not be.

 

Because his beloved mother was not his mother.  His stern but mostly caring father was not his father.  And Thor…

 

Thor, the brother he had worshiped growing up, the only one who had always stood by him, his golden brother, was not his brother.

 

Loki drew in a deep breath, fighting tears he could not allow to fall.  He did not need the pity of these mortals.  He needed to make sure Asgard was safe, make sure Thanos’ plans failed, and then he could rest.

 

He closed his eyes.

 

He still wanted to run away. Wanted to leave and never return, let these weak humans be crushed so that he could attempt to escape from Thanos.

 

He clenched his teeth as a particularly deep gashed was swabbed with something smelling strongly of alcohol, breathing harshly through his nose.

 

He was a coward.

 

* * *

_At Stark Tower_

 

The Other stood languidly from the crouched position he’d materialized in, eyes narrowed as he took in his surroundings with a sneer.  He walked over to the edge of the tower, watching as a large non-descript black helicopter approached the landing pad.

 

Slowly he took out his weapons, watching as the SHIELD helicopter came closer. 

 

He grinned. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Sorry? 
> 
> I've had this chapter open on my computer, but never managed to write much or get motivation. That is until it was pointed out to me that it's been nearly a year (holy crap) since I've updated this. 
> 
> The next several chapters are planned out, and I've actually had Thor and Loki's reunion written for months. So hopefully now that I have more motivation, the next chapter won't take another year to get posted. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!


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